<p>Bengaluru: Eddelu Karnataka, a liberal civil society collective, has slammed Congress for "retaliatory actions" against minority leaders and warned that the party would lose support in future elections. </p><p>“The developments in <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/davangere">Davangere</a> serve as a warning bell for the 2028 elections. Davangere is clearly saying: do not take minorities, Dalits, secular people and progressive forces for granted,” the group said in a statement. </p><p>Eddelu Karnataka contributed to the Congress’ victory in the 2023 Assembly polls by consolidating ‘secular’ votes against the BJP. </p><p>In its statement, Eddelu Karnataka said Shamanur Shivashankarappa, a Lingayat, was the Congress MLA for three decades in Davangere South despite a significant Muslim population there. </p><p>“After (Shamanur’s) demise, the <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/congress">Congress</a> leadership had assured that this seat would be given to the Muslim community,” Eddelu Karnataka said. “However, the way the Congress high command and state leadership bowed down before the power of family, caste, and money has disgusted everyone.” </p>.Karnataka bypoll 'sabotage' row: War breaks out in Congress with Abdul Jabbar's suspension.<p>This "opportunistic stance” of Congress, Muslim leaders and “secular forces” stayed away from the election process, the statement said. “Whatever the result may be — even if the Congress candidate wins by a narrow margin using financial power — Congress has already suffered a moral defeat,” it said. </p><p>“When influential families in Davangere openly called for voting for BJP’s Raghavendra on caste lines, Congress leaders took no action. But now, they are trying to suppress minority leaders and create divisions among them on baseless grounds. This is shameful,” Eddelu Karnataka said.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: Eddelu Karnataka, a liberal civil society collective, has slammed Congress for "retaliatory actions" against minority leaders and warned that the party would lose support in future elections. </p><p>“The developments in <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/davangere">Davangere</a> serve as a warning bell for the 2028 elections. Davangere is clearly saying: do not take minorities, Dalits, secular people and progressive forces for granted,” the group said in a statement. </p><p>Eddelu Karnataka contributed to the Congress’ victory in the 2023 Assembly polls by consolidating ‘secular’ votes against the BJP. </p><p>In its statement, Eddelu Karnataka said Shamanur Shivashankarappa, a Lingayat, was the Congress MLA for three decades in Davangere South despite a significant Muslim population there. </p><p>“After (Shamanur’s) demise, the <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/congress">Congress</a> leadership had assured that this seat would be given to the Muslim community,” Eddelu Karnataka said. “However, the way the Congress high command and state leadership bowed down before the power of family, caste, and money has disgusted everyone.” </p>.Karnataka bypoll 'sabotage' row: War breaks out in Congress with Abdul Jabbar's suspension.<p>This "opportunistic stance” of Congress, Muslim leaders and “secular forces” stayed away from the election process, the statement said. “Whatever the result may be — even if the Congress candidate wins by a narrow margin using financial power — Congress has already suffered a moral defeat,” it said. </p><p>“When influential families in Davangere openly called for voting for BJP’s Raghavendra on caste lines, Congress leaders took no action. But now, they are trying to suppress minority leaders and create divisions among them on baseless grounds. This is shameful,” Eddelu Karnataka said.</p>
