Shreyas HS
Daijiworld Media Network

Bangalore, Mar 13: In what may come as a blow to the state Congress, according to highly placed sources close to JD(S) said daijiworld that former union minister C K Jaffer Sharief has been holding several rounds of talks with JD(S) supremo Deve Gowda expressing his interest to join the party. However, Congress in a bid to retain the senior party member is trying to woo him, offering the post of Saudi Arabia’s ambassador.

The move which could be termed as major setback ahead of general elections, came as soon as the party decided to drop him from the fray replacing Rizwan Arshad from Bangalore Central constituency. Sources say that earlier, the former union minister was trying hard to get the ticket to contest elections. The Congress party which this time altering its strategy in issuing the ticket, choosing youth over veterans, came to the decision to drop Sharief, which evoked his anger and led him to contemplate severing of ties with the Congress. 

Besides these, sources say that it is habitual for the senior party member to play a threatening game as the party goes to elections, and thereby put undue pressure on the high command to accept their demands. It is said that Sharief, who earlier clarified his stand to join JD(S) with Congress national leaders, is backing out. This contradictory move was revealed by him after he was offered the post of ambassador to Saudi Arabia by the party.

Amidst these developments, JD(S) has considered Jaffer’s contentions seriously and the party is likely to come out with its decision within a day or two, sources confirmed.