Activists pitch LK Atheeq for RS, call him ‘secular technocrat’

Bengaluru

Even as the Federation of State Muslim Organisations merely urged the Congress leadership to allot at least one Rajya Sabha seat to a Muslim candidate from Karnataka, several activists, retired bureaucrats and political observers are increasingly backing former IAS officer LK Atheeq as the ideal face for the Upper House nomination. With the Congress expected to comfortably win three of the four Rajya Sabha seats going to polls on June 18, discussions around Atheeq’s name have gained momentum in political and civil society circles.

Many activists argue that Atheeq’s vast administrative experience cutting across governance, finance, rural development, infrastructure, national policymaking and international institutions makes him one of the strongest technocratic choices available to the Congress. “He is not just a minority face. He is a governance expert with experience across almost every important sector,” said Bengaluru-based civic activist Mohammed Faisal. “At a time when Parliament needs serious policy voices instead of only political rhetoric, somebody like Atheeq can do wonders for Karnataka and the country,” he added.

Political observers also point to the Congress party’s recent success in fielding former bureaucrats in electoral politics. Former IAS officer G Kumar Naik was selected by the Congress from the Raichur Lok Sabha constituency and went on to win the election, while former Karnataka-cadre IAS officer turned Member of Parliament Sasikanth Senthil later emerged as a prominent Congress face at the national level. Activists argue that these examples show the party’s growing willingness to place experienced administrators in public-facing political roles; a trend they believe strengthens the case for someone like L K Atheeq.

Retired academic and political observer Prof. S. Pradeep Kumar (name changed) said Atheeq’s biggest strength lies in his “clean secular image and administrative credibility”. “He has worked under different political dispensations without controversy and has always been viewed as a secular, balanced and development-oriented officer,” he said. Atheeq currently serves as Chairman of the Bengaluru Business Corridor project and previously held several top positions in Karnataka, including Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister, Additional Chief Secretary for Finance and Principal Secretary of the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department. Beyond Karnataka, he also served in the Prime Minister’s Office as Director and Joint Secretary handling the social sector and later represented India as Senior Adviser on the Board of the World Bank Group in Washington D.C. Activist Tejaswini Raju said Atheeq’s profile goes beyond identity politics.

“He represents competence, policy understanding and inclusive governance. His academic engagement and global exposure give him a rare perspective that Parliament currently lacks,” she said. Apart from his bureaucratic career spanning more than 35 years, Atheeq is also a visiting faculty member at the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), where he teaches public finance, and is associated with the Public Affairs Centre as a policy expert. While the Congress leadership has remained silent on possible nominees, Atheeq’s name is steadily emerging as a serious contender among sections seeking a capable, secular and experienced representative from Karnataka in the Rajya Sabha.