Davangere South bypoll: Congress leaders allege internal sabotage

Bengaluru: The knives are out for a "conspirator" in the ruling Congress after the Davangere South bypoll, with some party leaders from the Muslim community on Friday alleging a "big conspiracy" by one of their own to undermine the chances of the official candidate. 

They alleged that the "conspirator" projected the Congress as having "betrayed" the Muslims and also hurt the prospects of party candidate Samarth Mallikarjun, grandson of deceased MLA Shamanur Shivashankarappa.

During a joint press meet held at the KPCC office in Bengaluru, MLC Saleem Ahmed and Shivajinagar MLA Rizwan Arshad, along with several leaders from the Muslim community, said that ahead of the bypoll, massive social media campaigns by the BJP, the SDPI and Independents had painted the Congress as a "betrayer" of the community.

MLC Saleem said they were saddened that some senior Congress leaders "conspired to damage the party". "But the result will prove that all communities, including the minorities, have supported the Congress candidate," he said, claiming that the party’s internal survey predicted a Congress victory in both seats that went to the bypolls.

Recalling a meeting of senior party leaders held on Eid, MLA Rizwan said: "All of us were in the meeting convened by the CM, DyCM and AICC general secretary (Randeep) Surjewala and there was a consensus over Samarth's candidature. We decided to work for the party candidate. But some tried to project a different face outside, calling it (Samarth's candidature) a betrayal," rued Rizwan, as he named those who campaigned for the official candidate.

While he mentioned NA Harris, Tanveer Sait, Rahim Khan, Yasir Pathan Khan, Kaneez Fathima and Balkees Banu, one prominent name was missing — Housing Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan.

When reporters asked Rizwan who hatched the  alleged conspiracy, he said: "The party leadership knows about it. They don’t need to know about it from the media. I will say nothing more."

According to party insiders, Zameer, MLC Abdul Jabbar and CM's political secretary Nasir Ahmed could face tough questions from the leadership if the bypoll result doesn't favour the Congress.

Zameer had stayed out of the bypoll campaign citing his responsibilities related to the Kerala Assembly election. However, he had addressed a press meet along with Samarth's father and horticulture minister, S S Mallikarjun, in Davangere on the request of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

Saleem and Rizwan were tasked with quelling an internal rebellion after the party denied the ticket to a candidate from the Muslim community. Though the duo convinced rebel candidate Sadiq Pailwan to retire from the contest, 13 other Muslim candidates remained in the fray, including SDPI’s Afsar Kodlipete, expelled Congress leader H Suban Sab and businessman Khadar Adil Basha. The resentment in the community is learnt to have stayed through the bypoll.

Rizwan, however, admitted that leaders from the community had "faltered" by proposing a single candidate name before the party leadership. "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 three to four names instead of one, or just asked SS Mallikarjun to pick a Muslim candidate. It was our mistake," he reasoned.