Davanagere South bypoll: Cong faces rebel threat, disquiet among Muslims

THe united states congress is confronting an unusual try of its intragroup cohesion in the Davanagere due south gathering by-election, where discontent among Muslim leaders and a surge of rebel candidates have raised the prospect of vote-splitting in a constituency long shaped by the party’s core support base.The trigger for the unrest is the party’s decision to field Samarth Mallikarjun, a family member of late MLA Shamanur Shivashankarappa, instead of a Muslim candidate. The choice has unsettled sections of the community, which has consistently sought representation since the constituency was carved out in 2008 and remains a significant electoral bloc, with roughly 80,000 voters in an electorate of 2.32 lakh.With the April 9 poll approaching, the Congress high command has focused on containing the fallout. Senior leaders have been working to persuade more than a dozen Muslim Independent candidates to withdraw from the contest and consolidate support behind the party nominee, while attempting to reassure voters that the community has not been sidelined.The strain has also exposed divisions within the party’s leadership. Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan, who had backed MLC K Jabbar Khan for the ticket, has stayed away from campaigning in Davanagere and is currently in Kerala. A remark by Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress president D K Shivakumar that the party “does not function relying on an individual and elections fought on ideologies” is reported to have prompted efforts to bring him into the campaign after April 5.The tensions follow a March 20 meeting convened by AICC general secretary in charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, where Muslim leaders pressed their demand for the ticket, citing their numerical strength. Those present -- including Zameer Ahmed Khan, Rahim Khan, Saleem Ahmed, Rizwan Arshad, Naseer Ahmed, Tanveer Sait and N A Haris -- were instead asked to ensure that Independent candidates withdrew and supported Samarth Mallikarjun. His father, S S Mallikarjun, is a minister in the state cabinet, and his mother, Prabha Mallikarjun, represents the Davanagere Lok Sabha constituency.A Congress functionary familiar with the situation said the episode had highlighted the complexities of managing Muslim leadership within the party. “When the party had expected Khan to soothe the angst among the Muslims for not getting the ticket, he sulked and is campaigning in Kerala. Khan is the party’s trouble-shooter regarding minorities issues, but his reported differences with Mallikarjun has not gone down well with the Congress leadership,” the functionary said.Efforts to contain rebellion have extended to local leaders. Sadiq Pailwan, who filed nomination papers as a rebel candidate, has been approached by party leaders Rizwan Arshad and Saleem Ahmed to withdraw. Another rebel, Subhan Sab, was expelled for derogatory remarks against senior Congress leaders.Saleem Ahmed, speaking to a local television channel, pointed to coordination challenges within the party. “Only Arshad and I showed up at the meeting as Khan remained incommunicado by switching off his mobile and Naseer Ahmed excused himself saying he was preoccupied. I am going to reveal after the by-poll who all plotted to field Pailwan, why they did not ask him to withdraw and why some leaders did not campaign in the constituency,” he said.Rizwan Arshad said the leadership had justified its decision by pointing to continuity. “We were told the by-poll’s tenure is another two years, which Shamanur Shivashankarappa would have completed if he was alive. In the next elections, if the Muslim community suggests a good candidate, it will be considered. I agree Muslims are upset over the ticket’s denial but not to the extent that they will defeat the Congress and help the BJP,” he said.The Congress has also sought to signal its commitment to the constituency through a ₹100 crore allocation for infrastructure development in the 2026–2027 state budget.The Bharatiya Janata Party has sought to capitalise on the divisions. Leader of Opposition R Ashoka has urged Muslim voters to defeat the Congress candidate, arguing that his victory could deny the community a chance to contest the seat for decades. The BJP has fielded Srinivas T Dasakariyappa, while state president B Y Vijayendra mocked the Congress, saying it now has to “convince” Muslims to support it. The party has also criticised the state budget’s ₹4,500 crore allocation for minorities, calling it a “Halal and Pakistan budget.”Despite the present turmoil, the Congress has maintained a strong hold over Davanagere South since 2008, with Shamanur Shivashankarappa securing repeated victories by significant margins. The demand for a Muslim candidate, however, has persisted over the years.Party leaders say the situation is stabilising after initial turbulence, though concerns remain about residual dissent. “We have managed to make the majority of the Muslim Independent candidates who were fielded as dummies by a disgruntled leader to retire. The spoiler can be the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) candidate Afsar Kodlipet, who is trying to exploit the community’s sentiments,” a Congress functionary said.Kodlipet, positioning himself as an alternative, criticised the Congress and the Shivashankarappa family. “A railway track separates Davanagere South constituency from Davanagere North represented by Mallikarjun. All developments, be it educational institutions or employment opportunities, are there in Davanagere North. Why not in Davanagere South?” he said.He further questioned the family’s record on minority issues, arguing that their political success relied on Muslim support without corresponding benefits to the community.