After Karnataka Congress MLA BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan’s recent remarks on Zameer Ahmed Khan with regard to party president D K Shivakumar’s chief ministerial bid stirred a row, the party’s central leadership has asked him to adhere to the “Lakshman Rekha of the party’s discipline and ideology”.
Khan, in one of his public speeches, had said that nobody can become the chief minister relying on one community’s votes. His statement followed Shivakumar’s appeal to the Vokkaliga community to vote for him in the 2023 assembly elections so that he could become the next chief minister if the party returns to power.
Khan, a confidant of Opposition leader Siddaramaiah, who also nurses chief ministerial ambitions, had said: “No one can become the CM with support from one community, everyone will have the desire (to become the CM) that’s not wrong… It is possible only by taking all communities together. I too have a desire to become the CM, my community’s percentage (in population) is more than that of Vokkaligas. Is it possible for me to become the CM, just with the support of my community? Not possible.”
Khan’s statement did not go down well with the Vokkaliga community and created a major embarrassment for the Congress in the state.
In the letter to Khan, which The Indian Express has accessed, All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala wrote: “Your recent public remarks are completely unwarranted and in poor taste. It is expected from experienced Congress leaders to understand and adhere to the Lakshman Rekha of the party’s discipline and ideology. Unwarranted and uncharitable statements help no one, except to create avoidable controversies and bitterness. Regrettably, your inessential public statements have ended up creating unnecessary fault lines.”
“You are hereby warned to be careful in the future in making public remarks and steadfastly adhere to the discipline and ideology of the Indian National Congress,” the letter reads.
Khan, however, said Tuesday that he was yet to receive the letter from Surjewala.
Shivakumar, who is a Vokkaliga, has been making several attempts to consolidate Vokkaliga votes, especially in the old Mysuru region to support his chief ministerial bid. On the other hand, Siddaramaiah is seen to be banking on minority votes. While the former chief minister has been subtle about his ambitions, a leader from the Shivakumar camp said that Khan was doing the running for him.
After Vokkaliga mutt seer Nirmalanandanatha Swamiji reportedly expressed his displeasure over Khan’s statement, many Congress leaders, including Shivakumar, raised objections to it.
Congress leader from Mandya district Cheluvanarayanaswamy, who is also a Vokkaliga, said that it was an unnecessary statement. “If he is demanding that Muslim community should stand and give a chance to Muslim leader to become the CM, there is nothing wrong but comparing (Muslim population) with Vokkaliga population was unnecessary.”
The ruling BJP leaders were quick to react and criticised Khan’s statement. Revenue Minister R Ashoka, a Vokkaliga, said he does not want to bring community equations into infight politics. “If you have issues within, don’t bring in the community. This country is run as per the constitution. A chief minister is for the state and not for a community. I am also Vokkaliga and what rights does the party have to speak about my community.”
Khan later downplayed his statement saying that he was having a cordial relationship with seers and the Vokkaliga community. He claimed that former prime minister and Janata Dal (secular) supremo HD Deve Gowda, another Vokkaliga, was his “political guru” and he always maintained a good relationship with the Vokkaliga mutt seers.