Kapil Sibal resigns from the Congress Party and seeks a Rajya Sabha bid with SP backing

Kapil Sibal, who resigned from the Congress last week, filed his nomination for the Rajya Sabha as an Independent candidate from Uttar Pradesh endorsed by the Samajwadi Party on Wednesday, May 25. Sibal went to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly to file his papers with SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, Ram Gopal Yadav, and other senior leaders. His departure from the Congress is yet another jolt for the party’s electoral woes.

Sibal’s term as a Congress Rajya Sabha MP ends in July, and he was a major member of the G23, which advocated an organisational overhaul in the party. “As an Independent candidate, I have filed my nomination. I appreciate Akhileshji’s support “In Lucknow, Sibal told reporters. “On May 16, I resigned from Congress and am no longer a senior Congress leader,” he stated.

Sibal, who has been outspoken in his criticism of the Congress leadership, had asked for a non-Gandhi to take over as the party’s new head. “We are all constrained by the fact that we are members of parties and must adhere to their discipline,” the former Union Minister told reporters. “However, it is important to have an independent voice.”

“We aim to form a coalition to resist the Modi administration.” We want to create an environment where we can stand up against the BJP. He stated, “I will personally strive for that.” He stated that in the run-up to the 2024 elections, there should be an atmosphere in which the Modi government’s flaws may be exposed.

The Samajwadi Party, according to Yadav, is behind Sibal. “Kapil Sibal is a well-known lawyer and senior leader. He had served in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha and had a strong presence in both. “I hope he will express his opinions on major issues like as growing inflation and China,” added the SP president, who is also the state’s opposition leader.

Sibal’s resignation follows the resignations of Sunil Jakhar and Hardik Patel from the Congress, which staged a ‘Chintan Shivir’ in Udaipur recently. Uttar Pradesh is holding elections for 11 Rajya Sabha seats. The SP was rumoured to be considering fielding Sibal as a Rajya Sabha candidate. He was the lawyer who obtained Azam Khan’s bail as a prominent SP leader. Khan had been imprisoned in Sitapur for nearly 27 months on charges brought against him at Rampur.

In the 403-member house, the SP has 111 seats and can send three members to the Upper House of Parliament. With 255 members, the BJP can send eight.