Sibal files Rajya Sabha nomination with SP’s backing, says quit Congress last week

NEW DELHI: Former Union minister Kapil Sibal, who has been a vocal critic of the Congress leadership, on Wednesday said he has resigned from the party as he filed his nomination for a fresh term in Rajya Sabha with Samajwadi Party (SP)’s backing.

Sibal was among the Congress leaders who sought the party’s organisational overhaul. He is unlikely to join SP but will remain an associated member. SP also supported Sibal for his previous tenure in Rajya Sabha, which ends in July.

Congress did not immediately react to Sibal’s move but two leaders maintained it came after an indication from the party that he would not get another Rajya Sabha nomination. Sibal’s primary Congress membership expired and he did not renew it earlier this year, people aware of the matter said.

Sibal was legal authority for the Congress and fought several cases for the party before he became a critic of its leadership, especially Rahul Gandhi, two years back. He questioned the “arbitrary” functioning of the party.

Sibal’s criticism prompted Congress chief Sonia Gandhi to hit back in October during a Congress Working Committee meeting. She said there was “no need for talking to me through media” and reminded the dissenters she has been “a full-time and hands-on Congress President”.

The comments came days after Sibal held a press conference and said, “There is no president in our party, so we do not know who is taking all the decisions. We know it, yet we do not know.”

Sibal was a minister throughout the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA)’s 10-year rule from 2004 to 2014. He held science and technology, law, human resource development (HRD), and earth sciences portfolios. He was HRD minister when the landmark Right to Education Law entailing free education as a fundamental right for children between six and 14 was enacted.

Sibal defended the government when it faced criticism over the 2G spectrum allocation scam and refuted the notional loss theory emphasising there was “zero loss”.

Over the past few years, several prominent leaders, including Jyotiraditya Scindia, Jitin Prasada, Ashwani Kumar, RPN Singh, have left the Congress.