Kalyana Karnataka Muslim leaders demand Cabinet berth, allege vote-bank politics
Muslim religious leaders, members of the business community, and social activists from the Kalyana Karnataka region demanded on Thursday that a deserving Muslim leader from the region be inducted into the State Cabinet. Addressing a press conference in Kalaburagi, they alleged that the Congress had reduced Muslims to a mere vote bank, denying them a fair share in political power.
Maulana Shareef Mazaheri, president of Jamiat-e-Ulema Hind, Kalaburagi, said the Muslim community had consistently stood firmly behind the Congress over the years and had made a decisive contribution to the party's electoral success in the region. Recalling the contributions of the late minister Qamar-ul-Islam, he urged AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, and the Congress high command to rectify the injustice by inducting a deserving Muslim leader from the region into the Cabinet.
Afzal Mahmood, secretary of the Joint Action Committee, Kalaburagi, alleged that despite the Congress repeatedly securing electoral support from Muslims in the Kalyana Karnataka region, the community had been consistently overlooked when Cabinet positions were allocated. He said the community's votes were actively sought during elections, but meaningful participation in governance was denied.
Abdul Khadeer expressed strong resentment over what the leaders termed the party's continued neglect of Muslims from the region. He clarified that the demand was not for any particular individual but for the inclusion of any deserving Muslim legislator from the region in the State Cabinet to ensure equitable political representation. Arif Maniyar, Usman Sab, Feroz Khan Wadi, and Rauf Tambadkar were present at the press conference.
The leaders asserted that the Muslim community had been a steadfast ally of the Congress, yet its loyalty had not been reciprocated in terms of political representation. They said the induction of a Muslim leader from the region would be a step towards addressing the historical imbalance and ensuring that the community has a voice in the decision-making process.
The Kalyana Karnataka region, formerly known as Hyderabad-Karnataka, comprises several districts including Kalaburagi, Bidar, Raichur, Koppal, and Yadgir. The region has a significant Muslim population and has traditionally been a stronghold of the Congress. However, community leaders have often expressed concerns about inadequate representation in the state government.
The demand comes at a time when the Congress government in Karnataka is facing pressure from various sections for equitable representation. The leaders said they were not seeking special favours but merely asking for the community's due share in governance. They also urged the party leadership to recognise the contributions of the Muslim community in building the party's base in the region.
"Our support has been unconditional, but our representation has been negligible," one of the leaders said, requesting anonymity. The leaders said they would submit a memorandum to the Chief Minister and the AICC president in this regard. They expressed confidence that the Congress high command would take a positive decision, keeping in mind the sentiments of the community.
