K Ashraf ready to join JD(S) if assured of ticket from Mangaluru South

Mangaluru, Jan 28: Congress leader and former Mangaluru Mayor K Ashraf, who had quit and rejoined the party several times in the past, this time, has openly threatened to join Janata Dal (Secular) and bid adieu to the national party forever.

Mr Asrhaf, who is currently holding the post of the vice-president of the state unit of the minority cell of the Congress, told coastaldigest.com on Sunday that he would surely join JD(S) if it guarantees him a ticket from Mangaluru City South constituency in the looming Karnataka Assembly polls. The constituency is currently represented by Congress MLA J R Lobo, who had defeated BJP candidate Yogish Bhat in 2013.

“I am still in Congress. But, I have decided to quit the party. I am in touch with JD(S) leaders too and am ready to join the regional party if they are ready to field me from Mangaluru City South constituency this time,” said Mr Ashraf.

Mr Ashraf, who is known as one of the ‘ever-disgruntled leaders’ in the Dakshina Kannada District Congress Committee, had in the past repeatedly rebelled against party veteran B Janardhana Poojary.

In recent days, he has been obliquely criticising the senior Congress leaders and ministers from coastal Karnataka, whom he describes as “incapable of solving the problems faced by Muslim community” in coastal Karnataka in general and Mangaluru in particular. Ashraf says that despite serving the Congress for three decades selflessly, the senior leaders of the party often tried to sideline and suppress him.

According to sources, Mr Ashraf already has held first round of talks with three top leaders of the JD(S) – former PM H D Deve Gowda, former CM H D Kumaraswamy and party’s general secretary B M Farooq – wherein the former Mayor and three-time corporator put forth a set of demands including the ticket to contest from Mangaluru South.

Being a mastermind behind the formation of Dakshina Kannada Muslim Sanghatanegala Okkoota, an umbrella body of many local Muslim outfits in the coastal district, Mr Ashraf, in last couple of years, has led several agitations against alleged police atrocities against minorities and alleged failure of the state government to protect the interests of the minorities.

The JD(S), which is leaving no stone unturned to strengthen its base in coastal region ahead of the polls, is reportedly considering the demands of Mr Ashraf seriously. If it fields Mr Ashraf from Mangaluru City South, the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) also is likely to extend him support as part of tacit understanding with the JD(S).