Savitribai Phule quits Congress, to form own party

Lucknow, Dec 26: Former Uttar Pradesh MP Savitribai Phule, who joined the Congress before this year's national election, quit the party on Thursday alleging that her "voice was not heard".

"My voice is not being heard in the Congress, hence I am resigning. I will float my own political party," she said. Phule said her new party would follow the motto of Bahujan Hitaye, Bahujan Sukhaye (for the benefit and happiness of the masses).

Phule also blamed Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for her exit.

"I requested Priyanka Gandhi to allow me to organise a protest against the violation of the Constitution and the use of EVMs. She, however, said the Congress government had decided to bring the EVMs so I couldn't protest against it," she said.

Phule, who went from Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) to the BJP in 2000, joined the Congress in March in the presence of Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi.

In 2014, she was elected as a BJP candidate from the Bahraich Lok Sabha constituency. She contested as a Congress candidate from the seat in the April-May election but lost to the BJP.