New Delhi, May 6: In a jolt to the Congress, its senior leader Akhilesh Das who was recently dropped from the Union Council of Ministers on Tuesday resigned from the party as well as the Rajya Sabha blaming the "coterie" around Rahul Gandhi.

Das, who represented Uttar Pradesh in the Rajya Sabha, made a dramatic move in the Upper House, walking up to Chairman Hamid Ansari and handing over his resignation letter as soon as the House met.

"I have no faith in the Congress party," he said in the House, taking everybody by surprise.

Later, he told reporters outside Parliament that he had also sent his resignation letter to party president Sonia Gandhi and was feeling "relaxed and relieved now".

Attacking Rahul, he said "there was a coterie surrounding the 'yuvraj' (prince) and if the coterie was not happy with somebody, then that person has to suffer".

On the reasons behind his move, Das said "I believe there is a caucus which is doing all this. There is a power coterie. It has surrounded Rahulji (Gandhi) and that is unfortunate that only that coterie can have an access to him."

The son of former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Banarsi Das, he was the Minister of State for Steel before last month's Cabinet reshuffle. Das' term as a Member of Parliament was to expire soon.

"There is a power coterie within and there is an unconstitutional power coterie. They don't have any knowledge and they are not Congressmen and they are all surrounding the 'yuvraj' (Rahul Gandhi) of the Congress party," Das said.

Targeting Rahul Gandhi, he said "he is in-charge of the country... He is only general secretary of Youth Congress and NSUI but he is controlling the entire Congress party and he is controlling the entire nation.

"If he is not happy with you and his coterie is not happy with you, you cannot be in the party, you cannot be welcomed in the party."

Das alleged that "all the decisions in the party are being taken by the coterie and it is the coterie that is deciding the fate of Congress party and nation."

Claiming that there were many more dissatisfied people in Congress, Das said "they don't have courage but I can say that.... I am a democratic man, I am not a member of a coterie."

Insisting that he was not upset because he was dropped from the Union Council of Ministers, Das said he had been airing his dissatisfaction at party fora for the last one year.

"I have told (this) to Congress president" at various times, he said.

On his future course of action, he said he would decide it after consulting his supporters in Lucknow.

Earlier, in the Rajya Sabha, Ansari did not accept the letter and asked the member to go back to his seat, saying he had to make obituary references.

Das then turned to the secretary general and left the letter with him before walking out of the House.