Himachal Pradesh CM Virbhadra Singh rules out resignation

New Delhi, May 21: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister

on Wednesday ruled out his resignation in the wake of Congress' defeat in the state even as his Assam counterpart Tarun Gogoi declared plans to quit on May 22.

"It is a defeat of the party and not the Chief Minister. Why should I resign? I do not think it is a moral responsibility to resign because issues involved were beyond my control," Singh told reporters.

Congress has lost all the four seats in the hilly state including Mandi from where Singh's wife Pratibha was the party candidate and sitting MP. There have been a dozen odd states where the Congress could not win a single seat and these include major ones like Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and Gujarat.

Singh's statement came close on the heels of Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi announcing his plans to submit his resignation to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on May 22.

Singh: I do not think it is a moral responsibility to resign

"I have sought an appointment to meet the Congress President. If I get it tomorrow, I will submit my resignation to her," Gogoi told reporters here while replying to queries.

Gogoi, however, said he does not know whether Gandhi will accept his resignation or not as he has not spoken to her yet. After Congress got its lowest ever tally in Assam - 3 out of 14 Lok Sabha seats - in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, 78-year-old Gogoi has said on Saturday that he would resign within a week.

The three-time Chief Minister has already admitted to "arrogance and complacency" but said he would not leave politics and would continue to work for party's recovery. Sources said Congress in Assam has been plagued by factionalism and dissidence with State Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma allegedly leading the anti-Gogoi campaign.

PTI