Goa Congress leader Shantaram Naik resigned as president of the state unit on Tuesday, saying he wanted to make way for a “young and committed” leader.
Naik, 71, said he was inspired by Congress President Rahul Gandhi’s speech at the Congress’ 84th plenary session on Sunday, the Hindustan Times reported. “I was so inspired that I wanted to resign then and there, but thought it will not be proper to do so in such an atmosphere,” Naik was quoted as saying. “Rahul Gandhi showed the empty stage and wished to fill that stage with younger generation. That inspired me.”
In his speech on Sunday, Gandhi said the Congress needed to break the wall between senior leaders and workers to build a new party.
“I sent my resignation by email to Rahul and Sonia Gandhi, and said my services will always be available to the party and its leadership,” Naik said, according to The Indian Express.
Naik was a former Rajya Sabha MP. He took over as the Goa Congress chief in July 2017. Naik joined the Congress in 1967 and was instrumental in the passage of the Statehood Bill that led to Goa becoming a state in May 1987.
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