Senior Congress leader C M Ibrahim resigns from party likely to join JDS

The senior politician, however, said he will announce his decision to join the regional party after discussing with the JD(S) leadership, including former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, in a couple of days.

Reacting to the possibility of Ibrahim joining JD(S), Deve Gowda said the party will discuss and take a decision.

“I’m resigning from the primary membership of the Congress. I have sent a signed letter to Sonia Gandhi (Congress National President),” Ibrahim told reporters here.

Stating that he is also resigning as MLC, he said, “I have sent in the letter addressed to Chairman Legislative Council to Leader of Opposition (Assembly) Siddaramaiah, he can get it accepted by submitting. I have done this because, in case my resignation is accepted, BJP will get majority in the council and can easily get the anti-conversion bill (which is pending in the Council) passed. I leave it to them.”

“I’m a free man now and have freedom to make any decision,” he added, as he thanked national and state Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Siddaramaiah and PCC chief D K Shivakumar.

Ibrahim, a former Union minister and one-time close associate of Deve Gowda, had joined Congress in 2008, and had been sulking for some time now, upset with the party and Siddaramaiah.

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 vote bank.

Noting that he has resigned from 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. PTI