Former Odisha chief minister Giridhar Gamang resigned from the Congress Party on Saturday citing humiliation.
Gamang, who served as the chief minister of Odisha from February 18, 1999, to December 6, 1999, blamed the Congress leadership for not defending him for his single vote against the confidence motion that caused the fall of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government in 1999.
The nine-time Lok Sabha member, who was addressing a press conference in Bhubaneswar, said that he would not rejoin the Congress and added if any other party comes up with a proposal he would consider joining it.
Gamang has in his resignation letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi said he had been humiliated in public for this since 1999.
Gamang said neither the Congress nor the party leaders had come out with the truth and protected him from public criticism for exercising his constitutional right.
He further said that his 43 years' loyalty has turned into a liability for the party.
