Former union minister CM Ibrahim, 73, quits Congress, likely to jump back to JD(S)

Senior Karnataka Congress leader and Member of Legislative Council (MLC) CM Ibrahim tendered his resignation from the Congress party and from his position as Legislative Council Member on Saturday, March 12.  

In a letter to the party’s national president Sonia Gandhi, CM Ibrahim said that he was resigning from the party and from his position as MLC with immediate effect. 

"I tender my resignation from the Primary Membership of the party with immediate effect. I am also forwarding my resignation Letter to the Membership of the Karnataka Legislative Council addressed to the Chairman Karnataka Legislative Council through Siddaramaiah. Leader of the opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly," the former MLC said in the letter.

The announcement comes six weeks after CM Ibrahim declared that he would be resigning from the party. The miffed leader said that one of the reasons for his resignation was the fact that he was overlooked for the position of Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Council. 

"In the Karnataka Legislative Council if elections would had been held to select the opposition leader or if an opinion had been taken from all our party MLC's, then I would have been definitely elected since 18 members were supporting me but the party selected BK Hari Prased, the most junior member as the Opposition Leader," the letter said.

"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 in the party, I could not speak to you or Sri 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," the letter to Sonia Gandhi said.

CM Ibrahim had earlier said he was in discussions with several political parties including Janata Dal (Secular), Trinamool Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal and Samajwadi Party. He is expected to join the Janata Dal (Secular) shortly, according to a source. 

The 73-year-old was first elected to the Karnataka Assembly in 1978 contesting on a Janata Party ticket. He rose to be a minister in the Karnataka government led by the late Gundu Rao. He later shifted to the Janata Dal (Secular) and was a minister and an associate of HD Deve Gowda, the party supremo. 

He held portfolios of Civil Aviation and Tourism and Information and Broadcasting in the Deve Gowda and Gujral government, formed respectively in 1996 and 1997 at the centre. After falling out with JD(S)' leadership, he re-joined the INC in 2008.