Congress Leader Balvir Rani Sodhi Resigns, Citing Familial Issues

Punjab Mahila Congress Committee president Balvir Rani Sodhi resigned from her post. Sodhi sent her resignation letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi on 5 September, Monday.

The reasons for her resignation are yet unknown. However, Sodhi cited family circumstances. Sodhi in the letter wrote, "Kindly relieve me from the post as I am unable to continue due to unavoidable compulsions of my family circumstances." The Congress leader also assured of her loyalties lie with the party.

Several have raised questions over resignation reasons. She was asked about her differences with Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring. Sodhi denied it and claimed, "I have no differences with Raja Warring and have resigned only due to my family compulsions, said the women's wing chief of the party's state unit. I am a loyal soldier of the party and will perform any duty assigned to me by the party leadership."

Earlier, president Sodhi was reportedly upset for being neglected by the state leadership. According to sources in a report, “It was felt that the party’s women wing was not being consulted or taken into confidence. She was not seen in party meetings or programs in recent weeks." 

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Sodhi's resignation comes ahead of the Congress party's 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' campaign launch across the country, on September 7. Party leaders and members reached out to Sodhi to convince her to withdraw her resignation.

Congress Leader Balvir Rani Sodhi Resigns

Balvir Rani Sodhi was appointed to the post of Punjab Mahila Congress Committee president by the Congress president in November 2021. Sodhi was president of the Kapurthala District Congress earlier. Sodhi was among the aspirants for the Congress ticket for Phagwara (SC) assembly by-election in 2019 but got overlooked as the party opted for a retired IAS officer. Earlier, she also had publicly criticised the ticket allocation process, as her recommendations were ignored. Sodhi is Vice Chairperson of G.R.D College, Phagwara.