Congress veteran C K Jaffer Sharief, who is upset over denial of ticket to him to contest Lok Sabha polls, on Tuesday 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,” Mr Sharief told PTI over telephone from Mecca, where he is on a pilgrimage since 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 whether he would join JD(S) to contest the April 17 Lok Sabha elections, Mr 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.”
