Finally, CM Ibrahim quits Congress, considers JD(S)

Ibrahim dispatched his resignation letter to AICC president Sonia Gandhi and Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaih

Senior Congress leader CM Ibrahim on Saturday tendered resignation to the party’s primary membership and as MLC, a break-up that was in the works for quite some time with him confirming his intention of joining the JD(S).

Ibrahim dispatched his resignation letter to AICC president Sonia Gandhi and Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah. He later met JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda and former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy for talks.

The final blow that broke Ibrahim away from the Congress was BK Hariprasad becoming the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council.

“...if elections were held or if an opinion had been taken from all our party MLCs, then I would have been definitely selected since 18 members were supporting me, but the party selected BK Hariprasad, the most junior member...” Ibrahim wrote in his resignation letter.

“Whenever I have raised some basic questions regarding the functioning and development of the party, I have not received proper response. Being a senior leader, I could not speak to you or Rahul Gandhi directly and place the facts before you, but it has to be routed through the in-charge general secretaries and it is well-known to you how they respond which I do not want to elaborate,” he explained.

Speaking to reporters, Ibrahim said his decision to quit was “inevitable” and based on self-respect. “Today, it is impossible to remain in the Congress without compromising on self-respect. So, before that, I want to get out,” he said.

On meeting Gowda, Ibrahim said: “I know him and he knows me. So, it’s better to go down a familiar road.”

If Ibrahim joins the JD(S), then he is likely to be the regional party’s Muslim face, a gap created after Chamarajpet MLA BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan moved to the Congress.

“[Muslims] account for 21% of the state’s population. Was a Muslim made party president, leader of the opposition, a minister with a good portfolio in the last 70 years,” Ibrahim asked, criticising Congress.

Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar wished Ibrahim all the best. “The party gave him the Bhadravathi ticket by asking a sitting MLA to step aside. He lost and was made deputy chairperson of the planning commission and MLC twice,” Shivakumar said. "He has selfish motives."

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