Patna: Days ahead of the Lok Sabha election in Bihar, former Rajya Sabha MP Ashfaque Karim tendered his resignation from Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) party, ruing the purported lack of adequate representation to Muslims, on Friday night.
He has also issued a letter to the party chief, Lalu Prasad Yadav, and called the party ignoring Muslims and denying their rightful representation.
According to Karim, his idea behind joining was ensuring social justice and the same is now lost. Karim recalled the slogan of Lalu on the necessity of a caste census. The slogan can be loosely translated to "whoever participates, will get his/her due share".
"You have now excluded the Muslims. It is far from the respectable share they deserve, and it is not commensurate with our population," he said, hinting at the denial of his Lok Sabha ticket from the party.
"Therefore, in this situation, it is impossible for me to continue in politics with the RJD. So, please accept my resignation letter! I always wish you good health," Karim wrote in his resignation letter, signed at 10 pm, Friday, April 12, 2024.
Karim took the decision to move on from the party after he did not receive a ticket from the Katihar constituency. He had served as Rajya Sabha MP for six consecutive years, representing the RJD, along with Manoj Jha. Karim was not offered the Rajya Sabha route to the Parliament at the end of his tenure.
It is learnt the party had assured him of a Lok Sabha ticket from Katihar. However, the RJD strongholds including Purnia and Katihar were shared with the Congress, in the INDIA bloc. Congress has fielded Tariq Anwar in Katihar.
Word around is that Ashfaque Karim may join hands with the NDA alliance. The Katihar seat has now been allocated to the Janata Dal (United). The NDA constituent has fielded Dulalchand Goswami. Karim's joining the JDU will improve the chances for the NDA in Katihar.
