Gurudas Kamat Resigns From Congress, Quits Politics Monday June 06,2016

In a setback to the Congress, former union minister and five-time MP Gurudas Kamat on Monday June 06,2016 announced he was quitting the party and the political arena.

"I met Congress president (Sonia Gandhi) about 10 days ago and expressed a desire to resign. For several months now, I have felt I need to take a backseat to enable others to get the opportunity," Kamat said in a statement on Monday June 06,2016

Currently, general secretary in-charge of Rajasthan, Kamat - who enjoys enormous support base among the south Indians in Mumbai - has declared he will not enter the electoral fray for either the Congress or any other party.

A lawyer by qualification, the 61-year-old Kamat has represented Mumbai North East Lok Sabha seat five times - 1984, 1991, 1998, 2004, 2009 - and served as Minister of Communications and IT in the Manmohan Singh government.

A former Mumbai Congress president for two terms, he has a deep knowledge of the city politics and his absence could prove detrimental for the party which is hoping to capture next year's critical elections to BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation.

Starting his political career as a student leader, he rose on to become the president of National Students Union of India, of the Maharashtra Pradesh Youth Congress, the Indian Youth Congress, as well as the vice president of the party's Maharashtra unit, besides serving in the union cabinet.