Zameer, a four-time MLA from Chamarajpet.
Credit: Wikipedia
Bengaluru: Speculation over a possible Cabinet reshuffle post the special session of the legislature has once again turned the spotlight on how the Congress balances Muslim representation in the government.
The rejig is likely to allocate up to three Cabinet berths to Muslim legislators, as the party hopes to replace 50% of the ministers, who will be assigned party work ahead of the crucial local body elections and the 2028 Assembly elections.
With prominent Muslim faces like the late Jaffer Sharief, C M Ibrahim and Roshan Baig now absent, there is a rush among the second-rung leadership to emerge as the tallest leader from the community.
The recent remarks of Zaid Khan, actor-son of Wakf Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan, that his father had “helped” secure the Congress ticket for Shivajinagar MLA Rizwan Arshad in the 2023 polls have exposed internal rivalries.
Rizwan’s supporters dismissed the remark as Zameer’s attempt to claim seniority and pointed out that Rizwan’s political career predates Zameer’s entry into the Congress.
Rizwan rose through the NSUI and Youth Congress, served twice as state Youth Congress president, worked as an AICC secretary and contested (and lost) the Bangalore Central Lok Sabha seat in the 2014 and 2019 elections, they point out.
Zameer, a four-time MLA from Chamarajpet, joined the Congress only in March 2018 after quitting the JD(S).
Both leaders are aligned with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, represent Bengaluru constituencies and belong to the Urdu-speaking Sunni sect, which forms a large section of the state’s Muslim population.
However, Zameer’s overzealous outreach during communal incidents like the DJ Halli–KG Halli riots, the old Hubballi violence and the contentious Wakf land notices to farmers has caused discomfort within the party. Rizwan, by contrast, is seen as a quieter, organisation-based leader.
Last elections, Shantinagar MLA N A Haris (also BDA chairperson) had sought a party ticket for his son Mohammad Nalapad, ex-state Youth Congress president, from Shivajinagar, despite Rizwan holding the seat. Of the nine Muslim MLAs, Zameer and Rahim Khan are ministers.
Adding to the churn are Naseer Ahmed, political secretary to the CM, and Saleem Ahmed, chief whip in the Legislative Council. Saleem has openly stated his claim: “I am also a ministerial aspirant. I was the only working president who was not included in the Cabinet last time”.
Saleem belongs to the smaller Beary community like Speaker U T Khader and Haris.