Bengaluru, 12 April

Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar has accepted the resignation of party Minority Department chairman K Abdul Jabbar and dissolved the committees under him.

Jabbar announced his resignation on Saturday, a day after Muslim leaders accused party members of conspiring to defeat the official Davanagere South candidate.

In his letter, Jabbar stated that minority voters and office-bearers are the backbone of the Congress and deserve better. Speaking to reporters, he expressed shock at the party office being used to attack senior minority leaders.

Jabbar, an MLC and aspirant for the Davanagere South ticket, resigned from his post with immediate effect, and the committee was dissolved.

The internal rift within the Congress emerged after Muslim leaders alleged an “internal conspiracy” by senior leaders to undermine the official candidate, Samarth Mallikarjun, despite efforts to include Muslim leaders in decision-making.

Leaders, including Saleem Ahmed, Rizwan Arshad, Yasir Ahmed Khan Pathan, Bilkis Bano, and others, addressed a joint press conference, without naming individuals, but party sources indicated they targeted Karnataka Housing Minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan, Jabbar, and Naseer Ahmed.

Arshad stated the leadership believed some were dividing votes to help the BJP, but predicted a Congress victory. The party fears Muslim vote splits in the upcoming bypolls for Davanagere South and Bagalkot.