Assam: Blow to Congress ahead of LS polls: Barpeta MP Abdul Khaleque quits party

Khaleque's move to quit the grand old party comes after he was denied a ticket this time to fight the parliamentary election.

The Assam Congress suffered a big blow today ahead of the Lok Sabha election as party MP from the Barpeta Lok Sabha constituency Abdul Khaleque resigned from the party.

Khaleque’s move to quit the grand old party comes after he was denied a ticket this time to fight the parliamentary election.

But Khaleque’s resignation has exposed the differences among leaders of different ranks within the party. Khaleque in his letter to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has clearly mentioned this, and cited this as a primary reason for his decision to leave the Congress.

Khaleque in his letter has openly blamed Assam Congress president Bhupen Borah and AICC Generaly Secretary in-charge has “ruined the prospect of the party in Assam.

While stating that it was always an honour for him to serve the Congress and the people, Khaleque in his letter said, “….However, off late, the party in Assam has taken a strange route where people centric issues have taken a back seat. To safeguard democracy the people must have a keen sense of independence, self-respect and oneness. But unfortunately, over a period of time, I feel that the attitude and approach taken by the party’s state President and AICC General Secretary in-charge has ruined the prospect of the party in Assam.”

Worth mentioning, the Congress party did not give the Lok Sabha ticket to the sitting MP from Barpeta Abdul Khaleque, and rather alloted his seat to Deep Bayan, the President of the Assam Pradesh Congress Sevadal.

The Congress party on March 12 released a list of 12 candidates for Assam for the upcoming Lok Sabha election. The party is contesting 13 out of 14 seats, reserving one for its ally, Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP).

Abdul Khaleque before becoming an MP in 2019, had represented the Jania constituency, twice as an MLA, in 2006 and then again in 2016.

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