Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday said that based on the ACC Secretary’s report, action is being taken against some Congress leaders following allegations of an internal “conspiracy” to defeat the party’s candidate in the Davanagere South by-election.
His remarks came as Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar on Sunday accepted the resignation of party’s minority division chief K Abdul Jabbar. The dispute stems from the party’s decision to nominate Samarth Mallikarjun in Davanagere South, overriding the demands of sections of minority leaders who had pressed for a Muslim candidate in a constituency where they constitute a large segment of the electorate.
“The high command has appointed an AICC secretary in charge of the South Davanagere polls and action is being taken based on his report,” Siddaramaiah said, responding to a question about resignations within the party even before the results are out.
Asked about speculation that MLC Naseer Ahmed might resign from the post of political secretary to the Prime Minister, Siddaramaiah said: “Yes, he has not tendered his resignation yet. I think he may do so.”
Earlier on Sunday, a statement issued by KPCC Minority Cell Chairman and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said: “…the minority cell committee constituted under the leadership of Abdul Jabbar has been dissolved with immediate effect…steps will be taken to constitute a new committee soon.”
Jabbar had framed his resignation as a response to growing discontent among minority workers. He pointed to the treatment of Housing Minister BZ Zamir Ahmed Khan during the campaign as a flashpoint. “He has been publicly called out not once but twice in the media in a disrespectful manner for not visiting Davanagere to campaign for the by-elections. This has hurt minority Congress workers and the Muslim community across the state,” Jabbar wrote on Saturday.
He also accused the party of marginalizing the minority section during crucial decisions. “Officials in our ministry are saddened and disappointed by recent events, and I share the same sentiments,” he said, warning that efforts to “marginalize a small number of leaders and form a union among minorities” could have long-term consequences.
“I am a staunch member of Congress who has served the party for nearly 45 years and from my own experience I can say that this is an unwelcome move that I fear will not yield better results in the future,” he added, describing minority voters as the “backbone” of the party that “certainly deserves better than this.”
Even as Jabbar attributed his decision to these grievances, party insiders pointed out that his resignation came after an internal review conducted by All India Congress Committee Secretary Abhishek Dutt. The report is said to have pointed out organizational lapses and alleged anti-party activities during the by-poll.
Among the allegations under scrutiny is that some leaders unofficially supported Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) candidate Afsar Kudlipit. The party leadership has not addressed these allegations publicly, although internal assessments and intelligence inputs indicate tacit support for rival candidates.
The report is also understood to have named Zamir Ahmed Khan and MLC Naseer Ahmed, political secretary to Prime Minister Siddaramaiah, in connection with actions that may have undermined the official campaign. Naseer Ahmed has reportedly been asked to step down from his position, while discussions on further disciplinary steps continue.
In public, the dispute spilled over into competing accusations within the party. At a press conference on Friday, several minority leaders alleged that elements within Congress worked against their candidate. “It is sad that some senior leaders of our party conspired to defeat the Congress, even though the minorities had voted for the Congress. KPCC president, chief minister (Siddaramaiah) and AICC general secretary (Randeep Singh Surjewala) are aware of this. People voted for Congress, its ideology and its five guarantee schemes,” Legislative Council Chief Whip Saleem Ahmed said.
MLA Rizwan Arshad described a parallel campaign that portrayed the party as having abandoned the interests of minorities. “We had already demanded a minority ticket, and the party had thought about it. However, since we, as minority leaders, had to field a unanimous candidate, we put forward Abdul Jabbar’s name only because he is an MLC from the region, and he also put pressure on us. I think we failed first there, because party workers at the ground level did not accept him, and some other leaders thought he was not that popular,” he said.
He added that the final selection of the candidate was made “after considering all the factors and taking the confidence of all Muslim leaders,” but acknowledged that there were signs of resistance. “An attempt has been made by others, including some within Congress, to show that Congress has betrayed Muslims. This has caused us pain,” he said.
In a separate response, Jabbar rejected the accusations against him. “The allegation is that we supported the SDP and the independent candidate. What is the evidence? We heard several times that Rizwan Arshad, after being denied a ticket in Mysuru, supported the SDP against Tanveer Saeed. But we did not believe it,” he said.
Responding to questions about internal dissent within Congress, Siddaramaiah dismissed suggestions that the resignations signaled a broader crisis. He also expressed confidence in the party’s prospects in the Davanagere South by-election. “The Congress has not accepted defeat. The party will definitely win the by-elections. The election results are not a reason to take disciplinary measures,” he said.
Referring to party leader Salim Ahmed’s remarks, the Prime Minister said the comments reflected dissatisfaction with alleged anti-party activities by some leaders, but did not indicate that the party expected to lose. “Even amid anti-party activities, Congress will achieve victory,” he said.
The by-election votes, triggered by the death of MP Chamanoor Shivashankarappa, will be counted on May 4.
