Assam MP Abdul Khaleque, who recently resigned from the Congress party, quit the Congress party on Wednesday after meeting the party president Mallikaarjun Kharge in New Delhi.

In a letter to Malikajun Haq, the Barpeta MP said the party’s central leadership had approached him after his resignation.

He had fruitful discussions with general secretary (organization) KC Venugopal and later received blessings from Congress parliamentary party chief Sonia Gandhi.

“As a current member of the People’s House of Representatives and a two-term provincial councilor, I understand the situation in the country. Strengthening democratic forces is the obligation and responsibility of every democratic progressive.”

Abdul Khaleque, who was barred from contesting the Lok Sabha polls, resigned on March 15, accusing state party chief Bhupen Borah and AICC state chief Jitendra Singh Jitendra Singh did not redress his grievances.

There are three MPs from Assam in the outgoing Assembly. Two of them – Gaurav Gogoi and Pradyut Bodoloi – were given tickets for Jorhat and Nagaon seats respectively.

In a letter to Abdul Khaliq, he was called upon to accept the withdrawal of his resignation.

“Strengthening the Congress party is the need of the hour and therefore I withdraw my resignation and hope to work under your and Rahul Gandhi’s able leadership,” he said in a letter released to the media.

After his resignation, the state Congress chairman went to Abdul Khaliq’s residence and asked him to withdraw his resignation.

Abdul Khalq has said that he complained specifically about Bora and AICC general secretary Jitendra Singh.

Abdul Khaliq, a former journalist, said the party’s ideology and the likes of Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Moulana Abul Kalam Azad Extraordinary people attracted him.

In his resignation letter, he claimed the party had taken a “strange course” in the state and “people-first issues have taken a back seat”.

“To safeguard democracy, people must have a strong sense of independence, self-respect and unity. But unfortunately, for some time now, I feel that the attitudes and practices adopted by the party’s national chairman and AICC general secretary have ruined the party’s success in Assa Mbang’s prospects,” he said.

Abdul Khaliq had earlier said he would resign immediately and expressed his gratitude to senior party leader Sonia Gandhi in a letter.

A day after resigning, Abdul Khaliq told reporters that his resignation had nothing to do with his being denied electoral votes, but said the state’s political parties should nominate more Muslim candidates.

He claimed that various political parties, including Asom Gana Parishad, Trinamool Congress and Aam Aadmi Party, were in touch with him, while he also praised TMC chief Mamata Banerjee.