Dadra and Nagar Haveli Cong chief quits party, to contest as independent

Delkar’s father Sanjibhai Delkar was first elected as MP of DNH in 1967. Delkar followed in his father’s footsteps and started his political career as a union leader in the industrialised area in Silvassa and fought for local youths’ employment and other issues. He first contested election as an independent candidate for DNH in the 1989 Lok Sabha polls and won. He later joined the Congress, contested from DNH and won in 1991 and 1996. Later, due to differences with Congress leaders, he joined the BJP and contested from the same seat in 1998 and won. He left the party subsequently. He won the seat again in 1999 and 2004. In 2009, his aide Natu Patel joined the BJP, which offered him a Lok Sabha ticket. Delkar joined the Congress, contested against Patel and lost by 618 votes. In 2014, there was a fight between the same candidates, and Delkar lost by 6,200 votes.

A couple of months ago, Delkar was seen garlanding Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his tour of Silvassa. He also skipped Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s public meeting at Dharampur in Valsad.

On Tuesday, Delkar announced at a press conference that he was resigning from the Congress and the post of DNH president. “I have no grudges with Congress and after talking to leaders close to me, they suggested that I should fight independently in the elections,” he said.

“Looking at the sentiments of the people, I will contest as an independent candidate. I have no grudges against the Congress leaders,” Delkar told The Indian Express.