Kapil Sibal quits Congress, files nomination for Rajya Sabha with Samajwadi Party support

Lucknow: Former MHRD minister Kapil Sibal filed his nomination for the Rajya Sabha with the support of the Samajwadi Party in presence of party chief Akhilesh Yadav at the party headquarters in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday (May 25). Sibal told reporters that he had resigned from the Congress on May 16 and is currently an independent voice. 

He further said, “I have filed nomination as an Independent candidate. I have always wanted to be an independent voice in the country,” adding, “On May 16, I resigned from the Congress Party.”

Sibal said, "It is important to be an independent voice. While staying in Opposition we want to create an alliance so that we can oppose the Modi govt."

It is important to be an independent voice. While staying in Opposition we want to create an alliance so that we can oppose the Modi govt: Kapil Sibal after filling nomination of Rajya Sabha with the support of Samajwadi Party pic.twitter.com/UbqfLJlVbD — ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) May 25, 2022

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav told ANI, "Today Kapil Sibal filed nomination. He is going to Rajya Sabha with SP's support. Two more people can go to the House. Kapil Sibal is a senior lawyer. He has presented his opinions well in the Parliament. We hope he'll present opinions of both SP as well as himself."

Today Kapil Sibal filed nomination. He is going to Rajya Sabha with SP's support. Two more people can go to the House. Kapil Sibal is a senior lawyer. He has presented his opinions well in the Parliament.We hope he'll present opinions of both SP as well as himself: Akhilesh Yadav pic.twitter.com/eGFYVNkAwA — ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) May 25, 2022

Earlier in January 2017, Sibal had argued at the Election Commission that Akhilesh Yadav should get the 'Bicycle' symbol, and Akhilesh eventually got the symbol.

Another jolt to Congress  

Sibal, whose exit from the Congress is another jolt to electorally battered party. A prominent member of the G23, which had sought an organisational overhaul in the Congress, Sibal's tenure as Congress' Rajya Sabha MP ends in July,

Sibal's resignation comes close on the heels of Sunil Jakhar and Hardik Patel resigning from the Congress, which recently held a 'Chintan Shivir' in Udaipur. 

Notably, elections for 11 Upper House seats of Uttar Pradesh are underway.