I want leaders who are like Himanta and Milind Deora to leave Cong: Rahul Gandhi

Baharampur: Amid a series of departures from the Congress, Rahul Gandhi has said that leaders who are like Himanta Biswa Sarma and Milind Deora should part ways with the party, as they do not align with its ideology.

Sarma who had defected to the BJP in 2014 is now the chief minister of Assam, while Deora joined the Shiv Sena headed by Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde last month.

Addressing the party’s ‘digital media warriors’ in West Bengal on Thursday night, Gandhi emphasised his commitment to defending the principles upheld by the Congress.

‘I want people like Himanta (Biswa Sarma) and Millind (Deora) to leave. I am perfectly ok with it. Himanta represents a particular kind of politics, that’s not the politics of the Congress party,’ he said.

The Congress’ ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ led by Gandhi entered West Bengal from Assam on January 25. It is scheduled to reach Jharkhand on Friday.

‘Have you heard some of the statements that Himanta had made about Muslims? I don’t want to have anything to do with them, as there are certain values I would like to defend,’ he said. The resignation of former Union minister and ex-MP from Mumbai South, Milind Deora, marks the latest instance of leaders exiting the Congress to embark on new political journeys, especially towards the BJP.

Assam’s Congress minister Himanta Biswa Sarma joined the BJP ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. Former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh defected to the saffron party before the Assembly polls in 2022, citing personal grievances with the party’s conduct.