'Good luck and goodbye': Former Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar quits party

Before making this announcement through his Facebook broadcast "Dil ki Baat," Jakhar had removed Congress' name from all his bios on social media platforms.

He has not given any indication of joining any other party as of now.

Sunil Jakhar was the president of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee from 2017 to 2021.

Elected consecutively three times from the Abohar constituency (2002-2017), he was a leader of opposition in Punjab Vidhan Sabha from 2012 to 2017.

Jakhar had troubling relations with the Congress since the past month after he was removed from the 'all-party post' for his alleged anti-party activities.

In his Facebook address, he called the ongoing Congress 'Chintan Shivir' (brainstorming session) in Udaipur (Rajasthan) a "farce".

He said that instead of 'Chintan Shivir', it should have been 'Chinta Shivir' to contemplate mechanisms to save the party.

He targeted senior Congress leader Ambika Soni for misguiding the party leadership and Rahul Gandhi not on only Punjab affairs, but also on other states.

He also alleged that the Congress leaders sitting in Delhi have ruined the party in Punjab.

Flagging Soni's statement on the “repercussions of having a Hindu chief minister in Punjab”, Jakhar said that its end result was Congress’ humiliating debacle in the February-assembly polls.

Praising Rahul Gandhi, Jakhar called him a good person and asked him to take the reins of the party into his hands and distance himself from sycophants.

"Good luck and goodbye Congress," he said ending his live broadcast.

Jakhar had been served show-cause notice for his alleged anti-party statements last month though he opted not to respond to it before the anti-disciplinary committee decided to remove him from all-party positions.