Congress leader Gurudas Kamat withdraws resignation from party

New Delhi, June 23  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". 

Kamat 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 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 in a statement on Thursday.

"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.

"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.