BENGALURU: The Congress leadership has overcome a crisis over the selection of candidates for the April 9 polls, particularly for the Davanagere South constituency, by ironing out differences between Horticulture Minister SS Mallikarjun and some Muslim leaders led by Housing Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan.
The party also sent a message that there was no difference between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who favored a Muslim candidate, and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who favored Samarth’s candidature. Samarth is the son of Mallikarjun and Davanagere MP Prabha Mallikarjun. The death of his grandfather Shamanuru Shivashankarappa necessitated the polls.
AICC general secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala held a meeting with Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar, Mallikarjun and Zameer Ahmed Khan. KM and VKM sat side by side, sending a message that they had buried their handkerchiefs.
Leaders from the Muslim community – legislators Rizwan Arshad, NA Haris and Naseer Ahmed and RS member Syed Nasir Hussain – as well as AICC secretary Abhishek Dutt and Urban Development Minister Byrati Suresh were also present.
It was decided to allow Samarth to contest as the party’s candidate and satisfy Muslims with adequate representation in the government by way of appointment to boards and corporations and appointment as MLCs – in June, about 12 MLCs are retiring. Even in the cabinet reshuffle, they are likely to get more berths, sources said.
