Karnataka: Muslim Congress leaders miffed over MLC nomination 'rejig'

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's insistence that his confidant Umashree be nominated as an MLC has left Muslim leaders miffed as she will replace someone from their community.

According to sources, the party had cleared the names of MR Seetharam, Mansoor Ali Khan and former IRS officer Sudham Das for MLC nominations.

They are to be nominated by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot in lieu of Mohan Kumar Kondajji, PR Ramesh and CM Lingappa whose terms have expired. Siddaramaiah is learnt to have managed to get Umashree, a former minister, into the list in place of Mansoor, the son of senior leader K Rahman Khan.

The party's Muslim leaders wanted one MLC position for themselves as a reward to the community's solid support for the party in the May 10 Assembly elections.

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"We were assured of an MLC position. Now, there's a feeling that the community has been taken for granted," one Muslim leader told DH.

In the Assembly election, Congress gave tickets to 15 Muslims and nine won. In the 2018 Assembly election, the Congress fielded 17 Muslims of whom seven won.

"In the Cabinet, Muslims usually got three places. This time, we got two (Zameer Ahmed Khan and Rahim Khan). We also asked for a Muslim to be made the Bengaluru police commissioner," the leader said.

Muslim leaders pointed out that no one from their community was fielded in June when Jagadish Shettar, NS Boseraju and Thippannappa Kamaknoor were elected to the upper house.

"It's not about Mansoor Ali Khan. We wanted a Muslim to be made MLC," a Muslim MLA told DH. "Now, we'll have to wait until next year when eight MLC seats will be up for grabs."

Housing Minister BZ Zameer Ahmed, CM's Political Secretary Naseer Ahmed and Shivajinagar MLA Rizwan Arshad met Siddaramaiah on Friday and raised the issue. Siddaramaiah is said to have told them that he had promised Umashree an MLC berth. The Muslim delegation also urged Siddaramaiah to give prominence to Muslim officers by giving them good postings.

Raj Bhavan receives complaints

The Governor's office is in receipt of complaints by Karnataka Rajya Muslim Jana Jagruthi Vedike and others against the proposed nominations of MR Seetharam, Mansoor Ali and Sudhama Das. Special Secretary to Governor R Prabhushankar has asked Chief Secretary Vandita Sharma "examine" the complaints. Also, there is opposition within Congress to nominate Sudhama Das given that his is a newbie in the party.