Cong. Leader RPN Singh Quits, Likely To Switch BJP

Mr. Singh Resigns and shares on Twitter

New Delhi: Just a week before the upcoming election polls, the Cong. party faces a loss of MLA. Former Union Minister RPN Singh quit the Congress today and teased a "new chapter in his political journey" amid reports that he will switch to the BJP ahead of next month's Uttar Pradesh election.

RPN Singh, who is from eastern UP's Kushinagar, was among the Congress' biggest leaders in the state and is on the list of star campaigners for the party announced just yesterday.

Mr. RPN Singh posted a resignation letter addressed to Sonia Gandhi on Twitter.

"Today, at a time, we are celebrating the formation of our great Republic, I begin a new chapter in my political journey. Jai Hind," he wrote, sharing his brief letter.

As of now, Mr Singh is likely to contest as a BJP candidate in Padrauna, his stronghold, opposite Swami Prasad Maurya, who recently quit the BJP.

Mr. Singh has been an MLA from Padrauna for three terms. He was elected as an MP from Kushinagar in 2009 but lost in 2014. Swami Prasad Maurya won the last two state polls from the Padrauna seat, first as a candidate of Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and then as a candidate of the BJP.

In the 2009 Lok Sabha polls that Mr. Singh won, Swami Prasad Maurya, fighting on a BSP ticket, finished second.

Earlier today, Mr. Singh changed his Twitter bio and dropped "Congress", fuelling massive speculation. "My motto India, First, Always," reads his bio, which earlier referred to his Congress designations including AICC (All India Congress Committee) in charge.

As per some reports said he was upset with the party leadership over his associates being denied tickets to the contest in Uttar Pradesh.