Bengaluru, June 22 (IANS) Amid speculation over an impending expansion of the Karnataka Cabinet, lobbying for ministerial berths intensified on Monday, with a delegation of Muslim religious leaders meeting Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and urging him to induct senior Congress leader and MLC Saleem Ahmed into the Cabinet.

The delegation also sought greater representation for the Muslim community, demanding that at least three to five ministerial posts be allotted to Muslim leaders.

At present, 13 Cabinet positions have been filled, while the remaining 20 vacancies are expected to be finalised in the coming days.

Syed Tajuddin Khadri, Convenor of the All Karnataka Sunni Mashayikh Council, told reporters that no Muslim leader from the Kittur Karnataka region had been given a Cabinet berth for nearly two decades. “In that backdrop, we have demanded a ministerial post for Saleem Ahmed, a three-time MLC who has been associated with the Congress for nearly 50 years and has rendered commendable service to the party and society,” he said.

He added that the delegation had submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Shivakumar and also met former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, a member of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), to press the same demand.

Asked how many Cabinet berths the Muslim community was seeking, Khadri said the decision rested with the party leadership, though he expected three posts. “It is for the party high command to decide. They know who has worked for the party and who deserves to be considered,” he said.

Another member of the delegation, Syed Hyder Pasha Khadri from Vijayapura, said the group had first met Siddaramaiah to express gratitude for his contributions towards the welfare of Muslims and other marginalised communities. He noted that Saleem Ahmed had been the backbone of several large-scale programmes dedicated to Sufi saints in North Karnataka, which promoted communal harmony and the teachings of Basavanna.

He added, “We are spreading a message of love and harmony. Religious leaders from various mutts and lakhs of people have participated in these programmes. Saleem Ahmed has extended immense support to these efforts. It is in this context that we have requested the Chief Minister to induct him into the Cabinet.”

Referring to previous Congress governments, Khadri recalled that during the tenure of former Chief Minister late S.M. Krishna, five Muslim leaders had been included in the Cabinet. “At that time, D.K. Shivakumar was regarded as S.M. Krishna’s trusted lieutenant and played a key role in the administration,” he said.

The delegation also met Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President B.K. Hariprasad submitted a memorandum seeking ministerial representation for Saleem Ahmed and other Muslim leaders.

Meanwhile, senior Congress MLA Vijayananda Kashappanavar also staked a claim for a Cabinet berth, urging the party leadership to consider his name at least in the second list of ministerial appointments. He met Chief Minister Shivakumar at his residence in Bengaluru and conveyed his aspirations for a place in the expanded Cabinet.

On the other hand, Minister for Bengaluru Development Krishna Byre Gowda, Minister for Food and Civil Supplies K.H. Muniyappa, and Minister for Transport and Muzrai Ramalinga Reddy, who had reportedly raised the banner of revolt over portfolio allocations, appear to have settled their differences following the intervention of the party high command. With dissent seemingly contained, Chief Minister Shivakumar is set to go ahead with the Cabinet expansion, which is being viewed as another major litmus test for his leadership.

–IANS

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