On May 14, Muslim leaders from the Sunni Ulma Board demanded that a Muslim should get the post of deputy chief minister in Karnataka from the winning candidates of the community. They also demanded portfolios like Home, Revenue, Health and other departments for five Muslim MLAs. Karnataka State Waqf Board chief Shafi Sadi claimed 72 constituencies went into Congress’s hands only because of the Muslims. 15 Muslim candidates were fielded by Congress in the elections, out of which nine won.
He said, “We already said before the elections that the deputy chief minister should be a Muslim and that 30 seats be given to us. We got 15, and nine Muslim candidates won. In about 72 constituencies, Congress won purely because of the Muslims. We, as a community, have given a lot to the Congress. Now it’s time we get something in return. We want a Muslim deputy chief minister and five ministers with good portfolios like Home, Revenue, and Education. It’s the responsibility of Congress to thank us for this. We held an emergency meeting in the Sunni Ulma board office to ensure all these are implemented.”
Regarding which MLA should get a portfolio, he said that it is up to the Congress party to decide based on their work. Sadi pointed out that during canvassing, the Muslim candidates also went to other constituencies and ensured Muslim voters played a key role in Congress’s victory. He said, “Many Muslim candidates have also visited other constituencies and canvassed there, ensuring Hindu-Muslim unity, sometimes leaving their constituency behind. So they have a key role in the Congress’s victory. They have to have an ideal Deputy CM from the Muslim community. It is their responsibility.”
The demand was put before the elections. As the community leaders have put up their demands before the elections, Sadi demanded that they be fulfilled. He said, “We only ask for a Deputy CM to be the Muslim. Ideally, it should be a Muslim CM because Karnataka has never had one in its history, and 90 lakh people in the state are Muslims. We are the largest minority community apart from the SCs. We didn’t get the 30+ seats we wanted. But we at least want five Muslim ministers like during SM Krishna’s period and now a Deputy CM. That’s what we want.”
Congress won the Karnataka Assembly elections
On May 13, the results of the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections were announced. Congress returned to power as the single largest party by winning 135 out of 224 Assembly seats. BJP won 66 seats, and JD(S) grabbed 19 seats. Two seats went to the independent candidates, while Kalyana Rajya Pragati Paksha and Sarvodya Karnataka Paksha won 1-1 seat each. Not to forget, the Congress party said it would bring 4 per cent Muslim reservation when they come back to power. It was scrapped by the then-BJP government and became one of the major elections issues.
