Cabinet row: Cong faces heat over lack of Muslim representation

Hubballi: A demand for at least five Muslim ministers in the Karnataka cabinet has emerged as a fresh political challenge for Congress, with protests intensifying across the state and putting the party high command under visible pressure.Community leaders argue Muslims voted overwhelmingly for the Congress in the last assembly elections, claiming nearly 87% of the community supported the party.They now insist this level of backing must be reflected in representation at the highest level of govt, particularly in the allocation of cabinet berths.This is not the first time the issue has surfaced. After the Davangere bypoll, ties between sections of the Muslim community and the Congress leadership have remained strained. During the bypoll, community members urged the party to field a Muslim candidate, presenting it as a question of recognition and political inclusion. However, the high command chose to allocate the ticket to a member of late Shamanur Shivashankarappa's family, triggering resentment and it became a reference point for later protests.Since then, the community has repeatedly attempted to influence party decisions, often linking their demands to safeguarding the interests and standing of Muslim MLAs within the Congress.On several occasions, when Congress initiated action against Muslim leaders for alleged anti-party activities, community groups responded with protests and press conferences, framing disciplinary moves as unfair targeting and warning the leadership against sidelining Muslim voices.The latest round of protests began Friday, with demonstrators demanding five ministerial berths in the new cabinet, including one for BZ Zameer Ahmed. The agitation signals the community is no longer content with assurances and is seeking concrete representation. For Congress, already managing competing expectations among multiple caste and regional blocs, the renewed push adds urgency and complexity to cabinet formation and power-sharing decisions.Former minister AM Hindasgeri, also president of the century-old Hubballi Anjuman E Islam, said that during SM Krishna's tenure as CM, five-six Muslims used to get ministerial berths, and he was also a minister then. "If one goes by population, Muslims should get greater preference, but currently at least five MLAs should be given ministerial berths," he added.Altaf Hallur, president of Hubballi-Dharwad Mahanagara Congress, said the sentiments and demands of the Muslim community will be brought to the notice of the party president and senior state leaders.In Dakshina Kannada, responding to reports of discontent over portfolio allocations and the absence of a cabinet berth for Khan, minister UT Khader said Congress values all its leaders and that decisions on cabinet expansion rest with the party high command.