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Senior Congress leader and Member of Karnataka Legislative Council C M Ibrahim said on Saturday that he has resigned from the primary membership of the party. He said that he is inclined to join the Janata Dal (Secular) but will announce his decision to join the regional party after discussing it with former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda.
Ibrahim said he has sent his letter over resignation from legislative council to Opposition leader Siddaramaiah. “I’m resigning from the primary membership of the Congress. I have sent a signed letter to Sonia Gandhi (Congress national president). I have sent in the letter, addressed to Chairman Legislative Council, to Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah. He can get it (resignation letter) accepted by submitting it. I have done this because in case my resignation is accepted, BJP will get a majority in the council and can easily get the anti-conversion bill (which is pending in the Council) passed. I leave it to them,” he said.
Ibrahim, a former Union minister and one-time close associate of Deve Gowda, had joined the Congress in 2008 and had been sulking for some time now, upset with the party and Siddaramaiah.
According to party insiders, his decision to quit the Congress comes in the wake of the party appointing B K Hariprasad as the Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council, the post which he was eyeing. He has also accused the Congress of neglecting the minority community leaders and using the community only as a vote bank.
Noting that he has resigned from the Congress for the sake of “self-esteem”, Ibrahim said he will be meeting JD(S) patriarch Deve Gowda and former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy in a couple of days and will announce his decision.
“Though I had pressure from other friends (from various parties), my wish is JD(S) as Deve Gowda knows me and I know him. Instead of taking an unknown path, it’s better to take a known path…I will discuss with them and make an announcement,” he said, adding that the JD(S) has all the possibility of coming to power in the state in the 2023 assembly polls.
Ibrahim had left JD(S) after the 2004 Lok Sabha elections. He was later associated with “AHINDA” (a social movement forged by minorities, backwards and Dalits) in Karnataka led by Siddaramaiah before both joined the Congress.
Reacting to the resignation, the Opposition leader said that he is yet to get a resignation letter. “Lot of people join and leave the Congress party. If some people have left because of some differences, we can’t do anything. He (Ibrahim) is still a close friend. Anyone leaving will not damage the party. Even if I leave, it won’t damage the party,” he said.
Kumaraswamy said that there has been discussion on Ibrahim joining the party, but didn’t comment further.
(With input from PTI)
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