B.Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan.
| Photo Credit: File photo
The discontent among senior Cabinet Ministers over allocation of portfolios may have been sorted out by the Congress leadership, but the party is facing pressure over not including senior Ministers who were in the erstwhile Siddaramaiah Cabinet in Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar’s Cabinet.After the swearing in of 13 Ministers along with Mr. Shivakumar and Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara, several senior leaders who failed to find a place are believed to be upset. The Congress, with 135 legislators, is also witnessing intense competition among the legislators, who want to get into the Cabinet, which cannot have more than 34 Ministers in Karnataka. The expansion of the Cabinet is being expected after Rajya Sabha elections, scheduled on June 18.Senior Muslim leader from Bengaluru B.Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan’s exclusion from the Cabinet seems to have not gone down well with the leader, who has been earlier credited with consolidating Muslim votes for the Congress in past elections. His exclusion from the Cabinet, which is expected to be expanded by the month-end, has been attributed to episodes around the Davangere South Assembly bypoll, in which he has been accused of working against the party.Protests in various places in the State against the dropping of Mr. Ahmed have been reported, and it is learnt that Muslim religious leaders have also met to discuss the issue. The exclusion is being seen as attempts by certain sections within the party to sideline Mr. Ahmed, to allow others leaders to emerge. Meanwhile, D.K. Suresh, brother of the Chief Minister, has also held discussions with him.Sources close to him said that the former Minister is confident of getting into the Cabinet during the expansion. “The fact that the Muslim quota from Bengaluru has not been filled and the Housing and Minorities Development portfolio not given to anyone is an indication,” the sources argued. Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi told presspersons in Belagavi on Sunday (June 7) that the party high command would take an appropriate decision in this regard and ensure that no community was treated unfairly.
