Congress RS chief whip resigns to protest party's stand on Article 370 abrogation

New Delhi: In another setback for the Congress, its Rajya Sabha MP and chief whip Bhubaneshwar Kalita resigned from the membership of the House on Monday opposing the party's stand on the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaih Naidu announced in the House that he has accepted Kalita's resignation.

Samajwadi Party member from Uttar Pradesh Sanjay Seth also resigned from the Upper House and the chairman accepted his resignation.

The resignations from Rajya Sabha came ahead of the crucial vote on a resolution scrapping Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and a bill to bifurcate the state into two Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

The Congress MP resigned from Rajya Sabha over the Congress party's stand against the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

"I was asked by the party to issue a whip but this is against the mood of the nation. The party as it is on its way towards destruction and I can't be a contributor to it," he said in a letter.

Kalita is a Rajya Sabha member from Assam. He had only a few months left in his tenure and was due to retire on April 9, 2020.

He is the second Congress MP from Rajya Sabha to resign in the recent past after Sanjay Sinh, a member of the erstwhile Amethi royal family who has joined the BJP.

"I have resigned from Rajya Sabha membership today," Kalita said.

Asked about his future plans, he said he will disclose them after a few days.

He did not confirm if he was joining the BJP.