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Congress veteran C K Jaffer Sharief, who is upset over denial of ticket to him to contest Lok Sabha polls, today said, he has quit the party, snapping his six-decade old association with it.
“I have faxed my resignation from the Congress primary membership to AICC President Sonia Gandhi, but will not contest Lok Sabha elections,” Sharief said over telephone from Mecca, where he has been on a pilgrimage from March 19.
A seven-time Lok Sabha member, 83-year-old Sharief, whose claim for ticket from Bangalore Central was overlooked in favour of Youth Congress wing chief Rizwan Arshad, did not share contents of his letter. Asked if he would join JD-S to contest the April 17 Lok Sabha elections, Sharief said he does not want to be associated with one party and work within the framework of it.
“However, I am ready to work for secular parties,” he said. On whether he will campaign for JDS, the former Union minister said, “Yes I would.” He also described JDS supremo Deve Gowda as a secular leader and a “good friend.” Sharief had on March 14 had indicated he was keeping open the option of joining JD-S after Congress plumped for Arshad for Bangalore Central seat.
In a letter to Gowda, Sharief conveyed that he won’t be contesting polls, but will be glad to work for Third Front. Thanking Gowda and his son former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy for offering him to contest from Mysore LS constituency, he said, “As I had promised, I have to seek the guidance of Allah at Mecca. Finally I got the guidance not to contest any Lok Sabha election from anywhere in the country.”
Stating that he was free to campaign for anyone he likes, he said, “I have decided to support non-BJP secular parties. I will be glad and happy to work for Third Front.” Sharief had earlier written to Gandhi not to field any candidate against Gowda, raising many an eyebrow in Congress.
Gowda files nomination from Hassan
Former Prime Minister and JD-S supremo H D Deve Gowda was among 122 candidates who entered the electoral arena on the sixth day of filing of nominations for the April 17 Lok Sabha polls in Karnataka. Gowda, a five-time MP, is contesting from Hassan, a JD-S bastion, dominated by Vokkaliga community to which he belongs. A total of 152 nominations from 122 candidates was received today, Ponnu Raj, Special Officer on duty at the Chief Electoral Officer's office told reporters here.
Former Chief Minister late J H Patel's son Mahima Patel filed his nominations as JDS candidate from Davengere, he said. A total of 444 nominations from 318 candidates has been received till today, he added. Officials said Rs 20 lakh was seized from a lorry at Padubidari in Udupi and one person has been arrested and investigations are on. Rs 9.5 lakh has been seized near Hoskote and investigations are on regarding this as well. He also said Rs 2.14 crore unaccounted cash had been seized so far. The last date for filing nominations is March 26. Scrutiny of papers will be taken up the next day. March 29 is the last date for withdrawal of nominations.
