The Karnataka unit of the Congress has gone into damage control mode after a senior minister and two MLCs were accused of tacitly backing a rival candidate during the Davangere South bypoll on April 9.
The Congress high command has asked Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to act against state minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan and two MLCs – K Abdul Jabbar and Naseer Ahmed – for alleged anti-party activities. Notably, all three leaders are considered close to the CM.
While Jabbar resigned as the president of the Minority Welfare Board on Saturday, Ahmed has now been asked to step down as Siddaramaiah’s political secretary. The Chief Minister is also likely to drop Khan from the state cabinet to contain the damage, say party sources.
Reports from the state intelligence wing as well as AICC secretary Abhishek Dutt had flagged alleged anti-party activities by Jabbar, Ahmed, and Khan in the run-up to the bypoll on April 9.
According to intelligence reports, the trio allegedly provided tacit support to Afsar Kodlipete, the SDPI candidate in Davangere South, by funding his election campaign. Party insiders believe that the SDPI could emerge as a major political challenger if it is strengthened.
The three leaders had pushed for a Muslim candidate, Sadik Pailwan, as the constituency has a sizeable minority population. However, the party leadership chose Samarth Mallikarjun, son of state minister SS Mallikarjun, as its official candidate.
The bypoll was necessitated by the death of sitting MLA and senior Congress leader Shamanur Shivashankarappa. The counting of votes will take place on May 4.
There seems to be no respite for the Congress in Karnataka, where Assembly polls are due in less than two years. The latest crisis involving the party’s minority faces comes amid growing rift between Siddaramaiah and his deputy, DK Shivakumar, over the Chief Ministership.
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Published By:
Aprameya Rao
Published On:
Apr 12, 2026 12:17 IST
