BENGALURU: The turn of events surrounding Davanagere South bypoll with the Muslim leadership sparring over action against their leaders by the Congress has opened JDS an option to woo a section of the community’s voters.
There is a division within the Muslim leadership as the Congress loyalists are defending the disciplinary action against MLCs K Abdul Jabbar, who has been suspended from the party, and Naseer Ahmed, who has been sacked as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s political secretary.
A group, including ideologues and religious heads, has also written to the Congress high command with a warning that the Muslims can no longer be taken for granted and they, too, have political options other than Congress.
If the trend of Muslims’ aversion against the Congress is continued it may trigger a political polarisation ahead of the 2028 assembly polls in the state and JDS has chalked out a plan to cash in on the situation, according to sources.
JDS state youth wing chief Nikhil Kumaraswamy, son of Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy, has said that the party has not compromised with its secular ideology.
“Janata Dal has secular in its name. There is no change in our ideology. We will always remain secular,” Kumaraswamy said. “We have joined hands with the NDA as an ally. But we have not merged our ideology with anyone. Ours is a different political party,” he had said in Chikkamagaluru a couple of days ago. But both him and HD Kumaraswamy have ruled out having any talks with Housing Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan to induct him into the party. Zameer, too, on Tuesday ruled out joining the JDS saying that the Congress, which he joined in 2017, has given him a lot and made him minister twice.
But former minister Roshan Baig, reportedly, held talks with Kumaraswamy and is planning to take along some of the second line leaders of the Muslim community to JDS. Apart from Muslims, former MLA Akhanda Srinivasamurthy, a Dalit, is also likely to join Baig, according to sources.
In the old Mysuru region, a vokkaliga stronghold, a swing of Muslim votes in its favour could help JDS turn the tables against the Congress. JDS is aware that it lost several seats in 2023 and the Channapatna bypoll due to Muslim antipathy.
Zameer has admitted that the Muslims are disappointed over the disciplinary action initiated in haste against their leaders. He also said that a show-cause notice should have been issued seeking clarification from them for their alleged anti-party activities to defeat Samarth Shamanuru.
PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi, a strong contender for the KPCC president post and wishes to lead the party in the 2028 assembly polls, has stepped in to control the damage as the division of Muslims votes will prove costly for the Congress. He is focusing on the mid and north Karnataka where the AHINDA combination would be formidable for the Congress.
He is strongly lobbying for bringing Jabbar back as the latter may turn to JDS. He is learnt to have spoken to DCM DK Shivakumar and CM Siddarmaiah. But it all depends on the results of the Davanagere South bypolls on May 4 which would reveal more on the party’s Muslim leaders’ alleged anti-party activities.