Bengaluru, April 15 (SocialNews.XYZ) In a major development, the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) on Wednesday suspended MLC Abdul Jabbar from the primary membership of the party for engaging in anti-party activities.
Deputy Chief Minister and State Congress President D.K. Shivakumar signed the suspension order.
The letter stated: “Abdul Jabbar, Member of the Legislative Council, is hereby suspended from the primary membership of the Indian National Congress (INC) with immediate effect, in view of his anti-party activities during the recent by-election in the Davanagere South Assembly constituency.”
Abdul Jabbar was heading the state party’s Minority Wing and had earlier been asked to resign from the post. After accepting his resignation, Deputy CM Shivakumar dissolved the Minority Wing.
It may be noted that Congress MLC Naseer Ahmad was also relieved of his position as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s Political Advisor on April 14 for similar reasons.
The development is likely to escalate the leadership tussle within the party between the camps of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar.
According to Congress insiders, both Naseer Ahmad and Abdul Jabbar are identified with Siddaramaiah’s camp and are considered close to Housing and Waqf Minister Zameer Ahmad Khan, a confidant of the Chief Minister.
After the formation of the Congress government in the state, six-term MLA Tanveer Sait from Mysuru district was sidelined, and Zameer Ahmad Khan was inducted into the cabinet.
With a cabinet reshuffle reportedly around the corner, sources claim that Zameer Ahmad Khan, who is likely to lose his ministerial position, attempted to project himself as a supreme leader of the Muslim community and allegedly conspired to foment a rebellion in the Davanagere South constituency against the party candidate.
It may be recalled that Minister Zameer Ahmad Khan had urged the party to choose a Muslim candidate to contest from the Davanagere South constituency. However, the party selected Samarth Mallikarjun, the grandson of veteran Congress leader late Shamanur Shivashankarappa.
Sources state that Minister Zameer Ahmad Khan, along with MLCs Abdul Jabbar and Naseer Ahmad, allegedly conspired, acted, and funded efforts to ensure the defeat of the Congress candidate in order to send a message to the party high command that his leadership is crucial for securing Muslim votes in the state.
However, Minister Zameer Ahmad Khan has denied all the allegations, stating that he was occupied with an assignment in Kerala at the time.
AICC leaders who visited Karnataka during the bypolls reportedly took note of these developments and submitted a report to the party high command.
Following the removal of Naseer Ahmad as Political Advisor, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah held a two-hour meeting with Minister Zameer Ahmad Khan on Tuesday.
Sources said the party high command is unhappy with Zameer Ahmad Khan based on the report, and that the Chief Minister has asked him to personally clarify his role in the alleged anti-party activities during the Davanagere South by-election.
Source: IANS
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