Major Blow To Congress As Assam MP Abdul Khaleque Quits, Accuses State Unit Of 'Ruining Party's Prospects'

Assam MP Abdul Khaleque on Friday submitted his resignation letter to Congress president Kharge.

Assam MP Abdul Khaleque.

Source : ANI

In a major setback to the Congress ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, Assam MP Abdul Khaleque on Friday resigned from the grand old party. Taking to X, he stated: "I have decided to severe my ties of 25 years with Congress. I already send my resignation letter to Honourable Congress President Kharge ji."

I have decided to severe my ties of 25 years with Congress. I already send my resignation letter to Honourable Congress President Kharge ji. pic.twitter.com/DAROZe4xzD

— Abdul Khaleque (@MPAbdulKhaleque) March 15, 2024

Significantly, the Congress party opted not to nominate sitting MP Abdul Khaleque for the Lok Sabha seat in Barpeta, instead allocating it to Deep Bayan, the President of the Assam Pradesh Congress Sevadal.

The decision by the Congress party to deny Abdul Khaleque the ticket to contest in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls is believed to be a factor contributing to his impending departure from the party. 

Khaleque was a member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment, member of the Consultative Committee on Ministry of DONER, and member of the Consultative Committee on Ministry of Minority Affairs. He was also a two-time MLA from Assam’s Jania constituency

Earlier, sources informed ANI that the incumbent MP has asserted that the Congress is sidelining the Muslim community in Assam, prompting his decision to part ways with the party.

On March 12, the Congress party unveiled a list of 12 candidates for Assam in the forthcoming Lok Sabha election. The party is contesting 13 out of 14 seats, leaving one for its ally, the Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP).

Gaurav Gogoi, a party MP, will contest from Jorhat, while MP Pradyot Bordoloi will seek re-election from Nagaon. Lurinjyoti Gogoi, the President of the Assam Jatiya Parishad, will contest in partnership with the Congress in Dibrugarh.

Meanwhile, Numal Momin, the Deputy Speaker of the Assam state Assembly, ridiculed the party's selection of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Taking a dig at the Congress regarding its choice of candidates, Momin suggested that the ruling BJP was delighted with the list as it would likely lead to the Congress performing poorly in the state and diminishing its overall seat count to single digits across the country.

"We were very happy seeing the Congress list for Assam, as we can now say with full conviction that they wouldn't win a single seat in the state. I fear that the Congress might even fail to win a single Lok Sabha seat in the entire Northeast region. Such is the prevailing state of the Congress that one wouldn't be surprised if its tally of seats across the country came down to a single digit. I doubt if the Congress has ever been in a similar state before," Momin told ANI on Wednesday.