Former Union minister Ashwani Kumar quits Congress, writes letter to Sonia Gandhi

Former Union Law Minister Ashwani Kumar on Tuesday tendered his resignation from Congress, ending his decade-long affiliation with the party. In a letter to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, Kumar said, "Having given my thoughtful consideration to the matter, I have concluded that in the present circumstances and consistent with my dignity, I can best subserve larger national causes outside the party-fold.""I am accordingly quitting the party after a long association of 46 years and hope to proactively pursue public causes inspired by the idea of transformative leadership, based on the dignitarian promise of a liberal democracy envisioned by our freedom fighters," he added. 

Kumar’s exit is the latest in a series of exits from the Congress. Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sharma, Jitin Prasada, and RPN Singh are among those who have quit the Congress in recent years and joined the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). There was speculation that Kumar too may follow suit. The 69-year-old politician has served as one of the youngest Additional Solicitor General of India. He was also a Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab and held several portfolios in the last UPA government.He was the Minister of Law and Justice from October 2012 to May 2013. From January 2011 to May 2013, he was the Minister of State in the Ministry of Planning; Ministry of Science and Technology; and Ministry of Earth Sciences. He was the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs from January to July 2011.Ashwani Kumar has also served as Congress' national spokesperson and chairman of its Vichar Vibhag.As a legal counsel, he has argued important cases before the Supreme Court of India, including the Bhopal Gas Tragedy case, and has also represented major corporations in international arbitrations. He has been a member of the Rajya Sabha since 2002.