Allahabad: Sacked Uttar Pradesh minister Rakeshdhar Tripathi today resigned from BSP and vowed to avenge his “humiliation” by contesting as an independent against the ruling party candidate.

“Mayawati subjected me to humiliation of the worst kind. I would have myself resigned if she had ever told me that my continuance was causing embarrassment to her government. But she chose to announce my dismissal without showing the courtesy to inform me beforehand,” he said at Handia, the constituency he represents in the state assembly Replica Watches, about 40 km from here.

The former minister said, “I have full faith in the people of Handia and is confident that they will support me in the forthcoming elections which I will contest as an independent to avenge my humiliation.”

Tripathi, who was among the 19 ministers recently sacked by Mayawati following allegations of corruption, had joined BSP barely a year ahead of the 2007 assembly elections, ending his decade-long association with BJP.

He became an MLA from Handia on a BSP ticket and was subsequently made the minister for Higher Education.