BENGALURU: In the light of the JDS playing the minorities’ card by fielding Muslim candidates for the bypolls to Hanagal and Sindagi Assembly constituencies on October 30, Congress MLC CM Ibrahim has reportedly sent feelers amongst his community members about him joining the regional party.
Ibrahim, who held the Civil Aviation portfolio in the 11-month HD Deve Gowda-led UDF government at the Centre, was all praise for the latter, who “created history by becoming the first Kannadiga PM”.
“I had raised certain fundamental issues with regard to representation of minorities in the KPCC which remained unanswered. Why can’t any minority leader be made the KPCC president? None from the community was offered the post in the 73 years since Independence. At least, declare a leader from the community as a Deputy CM,” he said, after meeting members of the community in Tumakuru on Friday.
According to sources, Ibrahim had sought the post of Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council, when the post falls vacant in January 2023. But JDS patriarch Deve Gowda and his family want him to play a bigger role by offering him the state JDS president’s post, and Ibrahim may take a call in the run-up to the 2023 Assembly polls, sources added.
Meanwhile, Ibrahim was reportedly set to launch a minorities forum. Following this, a few top leaders and ideologues of the minority community from the Congress, led by KPCC working president Saleem Ahmed, held a meeting to deliberate on checking the exodus from the party to the JDS, and other parties such as the AIMIM.
However, rubbishing concerns, Congress leader Rizwan Arshad told TNSE: “If an exodus must happen, there should be a mass leader to lead.”