Assam Congress MP Withdraws Resignation After Meeting M Kharge

Assam MP Abdul Khaleque, who had recently resigned from the Congress, on Wednesday withdrew it after a meeting with party president Mallikaarjun Kharge in New Delhi.

The Barpeta MP in a letter to Mallikaarjun Kharge said that the party's central leadership reached out to him after his resignation.

He had fruitful discussions with general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal and later had the blessings of Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

''As a sitting Lok Sabha member and two-time MLA, I understand the situation in the country. It is the duty and responsibility of every democratic and progressive person to strengthen the democratic forces,'' he said.

Abdul Khaleque, who was denied a ticket for the Lok Sabha polls, resigned on March 15 alleging non-redressal of his grievances by state party president Bhupen Borah and AICC state in-charge Jitendra Singh.

The Congress has three MPs from Assam in the outgoing Parliament. Two of them - Gaurav Gogoi and Pradyut Bodoloi - were given tickets from Jorhat and Nagaon seats respectively.

In a letter to Abdul Khaleque, appealed to him to accept the withdrawal of his resignation.

''Strengthening the Congress is the need of the hour, hence I withdraw my resignation and wish to work under your and Rahul Gandhi's able leadership,'' he said in the letter which was made available to the media.

Following his resignation, the state Congress president went to Abdul Khaleque's residence to request him to withdraw his resignation.

Abdul Khaleque had said that he specifically complained about Borah and AICC general secretary Jitendra Singh.

A former journalist, Abdul Khaleque said he was attracted to the party by its ideologies and its leading luminaries like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Moulana Abul Kalam Azad.

In the resignation letter, he had claimed that the party has taken a "strange route" in the state, where "people-centric issues have taken a back seat".

"To safeguard democracy, 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," he stated.

Abdul Khaleque had earlier said that he was resigning with immediate effect and also conveyed his gratitude to senior party leader Sonia Gandhi in the letter.

A day after his resignation, Abdul Khaleque had told reporters that his resignation was not linked to his being denied a ticket but, he said, more Muslim candidates should have been nominated by the party in the state.

He had claimed that several political parties, including the Asom Gana Parishad, Trinamool Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party, were in touch with him while he also praised TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee.