New Delhi: About a fortnight after he resigned from the Congress party, former union minister and five-time Lok Sabha member from Mumbai Gurudas Kamat on Thursday said he is withdrawing his resignation.
In a statement, Kamat said he would "continue to serve under the leadership of honourable Congress president Sonia Gandhi and honourable vice president Rahul Gandhi".
"I had about two weeks ago sent my resignation as general secretary of All India Congress Committee and from the Congress party purely for personal reasons, to concentrate on social service minus any party tag," Kamat said.
"However, during the last fortnight a large number of senior party leaders tried to convince me to rethink on the decision. My meeting with my party president, Sonia Gandhi, helped me to make up my mind that the Congress party is the best platform to serve the people of this country," he added.
Kamat had resigned on June 6, but the party high command did not accept his resignation and senior party leaders tried to persuade him to withdraw the resignation and continue to work in the party.
"I will continue to serve under the leadership of honourbale Congress President Sonia Gandhi and honourbale Vice President Rahul Gandhi with the same charge of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Dadra Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu as informed to me late last night," Kamat said.
Party sources had earlier said that Kamat was likely rejoin the party soon considering the 2017 Mumbai civic elections.
Senior Congress leaders AK Antony and Ahmed Patel held separate meetings with him last week. Senior congress leader Sushil Kumar Shinde had also indicated that the party will be able to assuage his concerns.
There were reports that Kamat was not happy with the politics being played by Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam and AICC general secretary Mohan Prakash, who is in charge of party affairs in Maharashtra.
With IANS Inputs
