Muslim delegation meets Shivakumar: MLC demand on cards?

Bengaluru, NT Bureau: A delegation of Muslim leaders of the Congress met with Deputy Chief Minister and Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar over representation for co-religionists in the Legislative Council.

Apparently, they want a person from the minority community to be chosen in the forthcoming Council elections. As many as six Council seats whose fate is decided by teachers and graduates will go to polls on June 3.

Congress candidates for the same have already filed nominations and are campaigning. However, 12 more Council seats will fall vacant on June 17. Among them, 11 are directly elected by MLAs and Muslims within the party want at least one member of the community to be represented therein.

The delegation included Minister for Housing and Minority Affairs Zameer Ahmed Khan, Minister for Municipal Administration and Haj Rahim Khan, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s Political Secretary Naseer Ahmed, Rajya Sabha MP Naseer Hussain met Shivakumar and submitted a petition.

MLC Abdul Jabbar, MLAs Kaneez Fatima, Asif Sait, Bangalore Central Lok Sabha candidate Mansoor Ali Khan and others were present. Similar delegations had met Siddaramaiah last year demanding some Council representation.

Long-pending ask

Muslim Congressman had demanded that a co-religionist be nominated to the Council back in May 2023 and Mansoor Khan had emerged as a contender.

However, the demand was put on the backburner as the party in August nominated former ministers MR Seetharam, Umashree and ex-Enforcement Directorate officer HP Sudham Das. The latter is a Shivakumar loyalist while Umashree is in Siddaramaiah’s camp.

The party’s community leaders had insisted that it wasn’t about Mansoor Khan but about the larger question of representation for the minority. Muslims had been robust in their support for Congress in last year’s May 10 Assembly elections and the expectations had been great.

Usually, Muslims get three Cabinet berths but this time they got two with Zameer Ahmed Khan bagging the Housing and Minority Affairs portfolios while Rahim Khan landed the Municipal Administration, Haj and Waqf ministries.

As a compromise, MLC Naseer Ahmed had been made a Political Secretary to the CM. Moreover, UT Khader was made the Speaker of the Assembly.