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Bengaluru: As the dust settles on the recent legislative session, the corridors of Vidhana Soudha are buzzing with more than just policy talk. A high-stakes game of political musical chairs has begun, exposing a deepening rift within the Congress party’s Muslim leadership as a major Cabinet reshuffle looms.

With the party hierarchy signaling a "50% refresh" to gear up for the 2028 Assembly elections, the race to fill three projected Muslim ministerial berths has transformed from a strategic discussion into an all-out turf war.

The "Star Son" Spark

The internal friction turned public this week following provocative remarks by Zaid Khan, actor and son of Wakf Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan. Zaid’s claim—that his father "helped" secure a ticket for Shivajinagar MLA Rizwan Arshad in 2023—has acted as a lightning rod for resentment.

Rizwan’s camp was quick to fire back, dismissing the comment as a desperate attempt by Zameer to manufacture seniority. "Rizwan’s political pedigree was forged in the NSUI and Youth Congress long before Zameer even stepped into the party," a supporter noted, highlighting Rizwan’s tenure as an AICC secretary and his two-term presidency of the State Youth Congress.

A Tale of Two Loyalists

While both Zameer Ahmed Khan and Rizwan Arshad are staunch allies of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and represent Bengaluru strongholds, their political DNA could not be more different:

•    Zameer Ahmed Khan: A four-time MLA who crossed over from JD(S) in 2018. Known for his "overzealous" and often polarizing outreach during communal flashpoints—from the DJ Halli riots to the recent Wakf land notice controversy—his style has frequently left the Congress high command in a state of "discomfort."

•    Rizwan Arshad: A homegrown organizational man. Seen as a "quiet performer," Arshad represents the sophisticated, moderate face of the party, preferred by those who find Zameer’s brand of politics too volatile.

The Outsiders Looking In

The bickering isn't limited to a duo. The "Beary" community, represented by leaders like N A Haris and Saleem Ahmed, is demanding its pound of flesh. Saleem Ahmed, the Chief Whip in the Legislative Council, has dropped the veil of diplomacy, openly declaring his ministerial aspirations.

"I was the only working president not included in the Cabinet last time," Saleem noted pointedly, signaling that the "loyalty quota" is no longer enough to keep the peace.

As Chief Minister Siddaramaiah prepares to finalize the list, he faces a delicate balancing act: rewarding the aggressive grassroots mobilization of Zameer’s camp without alienating the organizational stalwarts and minority sub-sects who feel increasingly sidelined by the "Chamarajpet-Shivajinagar" binary.

Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot read only three lines from the 122-paragraph address prepared by the Congress-led state government while addressing the joint session of the Legislature on Thursday, effectively bypassing large sections critical of the BJP-led Union government.

The omitted portions of the customary Governor’s address outlined what the state government described as a “suppressive situation in economic and policy matters” under India’s federal framework. The speech also sharply criticised the Centre’s move to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, commonly referred to as the VB-GRAM (G) Act.

Governor Gehlot had earlier conveyed his objection to several paragraphs that were explicitly critical of the Union government. On Thursday, he confined himself to the opening lines — “I extend a warm welcome to all of you to the joint session of the State legislature. I am extremely pleased to address this august House” — before jumping directly to the concluding sentence of the final paragraph.

He ended the address by reading the last line of paragraph 122: “Overall, my government is firmly committed to doubling the pace of the State’s economic, social and physical development. Jai Hind — Jai Karnataka.”

According to the prepared speech, the Karnataka government demanded the scrapping of the VB-GRAM (G) Act, describing it as “contractor-centric” and detrimental to rural livelihoods, and called for the full restoration of MGNREGA. The state government argued that the new law undermines decentralisation, weakens labour protections, and centralises decision-making in violation of constitutional norms.

Key points from the unread sections of the speech:

•    Karnataka facing a “suppressive” economic and policy environment within the federal system

•    Repeal of MGNREGA described as a blow to rural livelihoods

•    VB-GRAM (G) Act accused of protecting corporate and contractor interests

•    New law alleged to weaken decentralised governance

•    Decision-making said to be imposed by the Centre without consulting states

•    Rights of Adivasis, women, backward classes and agrarian communities curtailed

•    Labourers allegedly placed under contractor control

•    States facing mounting fiscal stress due to central policies

•    VB-GRAM (G) Act accused of enabling large-scale corruption

Mumbai: In a shocking development, Shrikant Pangarkar, an accused in the murder of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh and the Nalasopara arms and ammunition haul case, has won the Jalna Municipal Corporation (JMC) elections as an independent candidate.

Pangarkar emerged victorious from Ward 13 of the JMC, where he was pitted against the BJP. Notably, the Shiv Sena led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, which contested the Jalna civic polls independently, did not field a candidate in the ward.

Gauri Lankesh was shot dead outside her residence in Bengaluru on September 5, 2017. A prominent journalist and activist, she edited Lankesh Patrike, a Kannada weekly founded by her father P Lankesh, and later ran her own publication, Gauri Lankesh Patrike.

Pangarkar was granted bail by the Karnataka High Court on September 4, 2024, in the Lankesh murder case. Ahead of the October 2024 Assembly elections, he was inducted into the Shiv Sena and appointed chief of the party’s Jalna campaign. However, following intense criticism, then Chief Minister Eknath Shinde revoked the appointment.

A former municipal councillor in Jalna between 2001 and 2006 from the undivided Shiv Sena under late Balasaheb Thackeray, Pangarkar later became associated with right-wing organisations.

In August 2018, he was arrested by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in connection with the seizure of crude bombs and weapons in Nalasopara and booked under the Explosives Act, Explosive Substances Act, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). He is currently out on bail in both cases.

Soon after the election results were declared, Pangarkar’s supporters celebrated his victory.

After filing his nomination, Pangarkar had said he was returning to politics after a gap and had received an encouraging response from voters. “I have worked for the people earlier and have returned again,” he said, asserting that the cases against him had no bearing on the elections. “The matter is before the court. I stand before the nyay devta. There may be misunderstandings by agencies, but the court will decide. I am 100 per cent innocent,” he maintained, adding that the Lankesh murder case was unrelated to the civic polls and pertained to Karnataka.