Alleging discrimination with his legislative constituency Panipat, a senior Congress legislator in Haryana, Balbir Pal Shah, announced his resignation from the state assembly Sunday.
The sudden move by Shah took the ruling Congress in the state by surprise. Shah, 67, sent his resignation to the assembly speaker, said sources.
"Yes, I have resigned from my assembly seat," Shah said.
Shah told media that he was frustrated by the discrimination with his assembly seat in matters of development.
A former transport minister (1991-96) and state Congress president (1987-89), Shah was one of the senior-most legislators in the state. He had won by the Panipat assembly seat five times since 1987.
Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has been the target of attack from leaders of his own Congress party who allege that the government has been discriminating with some areas of the state in terms of development and releasing funds.
Prominent critics of the chief minister are union minister Selja, Rajya Sabha MP Birender Singh and Lok Sabha MP from Gurgaon Rao Inderjit Singh.
Hooda, who is into his second term, has been chief minister of Haryana since March 2005.
The Congress has 46 legislators in the 90-member assembly.
