Lucknow: In a major setback to congress in Uttar Pradesh, senior leader and close to Gandhi family, Lalitesh Pati Tripathi resigned from party on Saturday.
Lalitesh was currently vice-president of UP congress and working in the team of Priyanka Gandhi. As per the sources close to him, he might join Samajwadi party very soon.
Lalitesh had attended all the meetings with congress general secretary and in charge of UP, Priyanka Gandhi during her recent visit to state. He was also entrusted with the task of building organization at village level in many of the eastern districts.
Lalitesh Pati Tripathi is the grandson of former chief minister and ex-working president All India Congress Committee, Kamla Pati Tripathi. His father Lokpati Tripathi too was a former minister in UP.
Lalitesh had won from Marihan assembly segment in 2012 and had unsuccessfully contested the 2019 parliament election from Mirzapur.
According to a senior congress leader of UP, Lalitesh was finding it difficult to adjust himself in the party structure. Besides, he said that Lalitesh was in touch with Samajwadi party leaders since long and was exploring options.
It may mentioned that in July another senior congress leader and Gandhi family loyalist Jitin Prasad had quit the party to join Bhartiya Janta Party.