‘Senior leaders damaged Cong bypoll campaign’

MInority us congress leaders on fri alleged that the company’s run in the Davanagere southward by-election was weakened from within.Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, MLC Saleem Ahmed and Shivajinagar MLA Rizwan Arshad alleged that certain senior leaders were involved in creating a narrative portraying the party as having “betrayed” minorities.“We are saddened by the involvement of senior Congress leaders in damaging the party. But the result will prove that all communities including the minorities have supported the Congress candidate,” Ahmed said, adding that internal assessments indicated a favourable outcome for the party.The Congress had fielded Samarth Mallikarjun, grandson of sitting MLA Shamanur Shivashankarappa, a choice that became a point of friction among sections of minority leaders who had expected representation.Rizwan Arshad said there had initially been agreement within the party on backing the candidate, following a meeting held on Eid in the presence of senior leadership. “All of us were in the meeting and decided to work for the party candidate. But some tried to project a different face outside, calling it a betrayal,” he said.Despite efforts to contain dissent, discontent persisted through the campaign. While one rebel candidate, Sadiq Pailwan, withdrew after discussions, several others remained in the fray, including candidates from the SDPI and independents, fragmenting the vote further.Rizwan said the party’s approach to candidate selection had contributed to the situation. “It is true we asked for the ticket and arrived at a consensus before proposing MLC Abdul Jabbar’s name. But some felt he was not popular. That was a setback. We should have given 3 to 4 names instead of one or just asked S S Mallikarjun to pick a Muslim candidate. It was our mistake,” he said.Questions were also raised over the role of some senior leaders during the campaign. State housing minister Zameer Ahmed Khan did not take part, citing commitments in Kerala, though he later appeared briefly in Davanagere alongside S S Mallikarjun after the chief minister asked him to do so.Rizwan declined to name those he believed were involved in the alleged internal effort against the party. “The party leadership is aware of it. They don’t need to hear it from the media. I have nothing more to add,” he said.Those familiar with the development claimed that AICC general secretary in charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala had submitted a report to the leadership recommending action against three individuals —including Zameer Ahmed Khan and Legislative Council members Abdul Jabbar and Naseer Ahmed — for not campaigning.Surjewala did not give a response to HT’s requests for comment.The episode is unfolding alongside renewed movement within the party over leadership questions. A group of around 20 MLAs, seen as aligned with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, is scheduled to travel to New Delhi on April 12. Led by Assembly Chief Whip Ashok Pattan, they are expected to meet AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, general secretary K C Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala.