In a jolt to Nitish Kumar government in Bihar ahead of Lok Sabha elections, Social Welfare Minister Parveen Amanullah, a prominent Muslim leader, today resigned from the Cabinet and the JD(U).
Parveen, who is wife of senior bureaucrat Afzal Amanullah, currently with the Central government, sent her resignation letter to the Chief Minister. She is daughter of former diplomat Syed Shahabuddin, a prominent leader of 'Babri Masjid Action committee'.
Parveen told reporters that she was finding it difficult to work in the present system. She did not elaborate.
The minister said she would return to social work, her passion for a long time.
Parveen did not give any specific reason for quitting and said she did not have any grudge against the Chief Minister and other ministerial colleagues. Her decision came just months before the Lok Sabha elections.
She said she would also resign as MLA.
The resignation of Parveen does not augur well for Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who is already facing threats to his popularity amid efforts by RJD President Lalu Prasad to stage a comeback.
Asked if resignation from JD(U) indicated she considers the party a "sinking ship", she answered in the negative.
"My good wishes are with JD(U)," she said.
Parveen said although she managed to do many things in her department as a minister, she also failed to do many other things she wanted to.
The resignation of Parveen as an MLA would also give anxious moments for the Nitish Kumar government which is surviving with the support of four MLAs of Congress, as many Independents and one CPI.
The JD(U) will now be left with 117 MLAs including Speaker Udai Narain Chaudhary in the 238-member house.
Parveen won the 2010 Assembly elections from Sahebpur Kalam constituency in Begusarai district.
Her husband served as Home Secretary during Kumar's first tenure as chief minister starting 2005. He is currently Director General of Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).
Parveen said she had made up her mind to resign as minister sometimes back. "But, after the Rajya Sabha elections ended I decided to proceed," she added.
