Uttarakhand MLA Umesh Kumar Resigns Amid Row Over Opposition Backing

In a development in the Uttarakhand Assembly, independent MLA Umesh Kumar, who represents the Khanpur seat, resigned from the House on Wednesday. He accused opposition legislators of failing to back him on issues of public importance, and said his frustration had led to the decision.

For the past four years, Umesh Kumar said, he had expected the opposition to support him on matters related to farmers and common citizens. He claimed that although he had consistently backed the opposition's agitations, opposition members stepped away when he sought support on issues concerning his constituency and the public.

Talking to the media, he said, “I have submitted my resignation from the House. I am hurt by the opposition’s behaviour. I supported them at every step. Even when the opposition spent the night sitting in the House, I slept on the floor with them.”

Umesh Kumar said that whenever he raised issues concerning Haridwar, farmers, Kisan Credit Card interest rates, disaster relief, sugar mills for farmers, permanent residence certificates for Haridwar residents, and Anganwadi and ASHA workers, he had hoped the opposition would stand with him. That, he said, did not happen.

Meanwhile, the Congress demonstration continued for a second straight day on Wednesday, during the two-day assembly session that started in Gairsain on Tuesday.

Congress MLAs protested inside the assembly premises against the reduction in the session's duration and demanded an extension. They sought sufficient time to raise issues from different assembly constituencies, including roads, health, education, corruption and the problems faced by ordinary people. During the protest, the party also brought up the Ankita Bhandari murder case and raised questions over the ruling party’s silence on the matter.