Muslim Organisations Urge Congress to Allocate Two Council Seats and One Rajya Sabha Seat to Muslims in Karnataka
Federation says Muslim representation in legislative bodies remains far below the community’s population share despite strong electoral support for Congress.
Bengaluru: Ahead of the June 18 elections for four Rajya Sabha seats and seven Karnataka Legislative Council seats, the Federation of Karnataka State Muslim Organisations has called on the ruling Congress party to ensure greater political representation for the Muslim community.
In a press release issued on June 1, the federation demanded that Congress allocate at least two of the four Legislative Council seats it is expected to win, along with one Rajya Sabha seat, to Muslim candidates.
The organisation argued that Muslims constitute nearly 13 percent of Karnataka’s population and should therefore have proportionate representation in legislative bodies. It pointed out that while the Karnataka Legislative Council has 75 members, only four are currently Muslims. According to the federation, fair representation would require at least nine to ten Muslim members in the Council.
The federation also expressed concern over what it described as declining Muslim representation in Parliament. It noted that Karnataka currently has only one Muslim Rajya Sabha member and no Muslim Lok Sabha member, despite the community’s significant presence in the state. It further claimed that Congress has reduced the number of Lok Sabha tickets allotted to Muslim candidates in recent elections.
According to the statement, the Muslim community played a major role in helping Congress return to power in Karnataka by extending strong electoral support to the party. However, the federation alleged that Muslim representation remains inadequate not only in elected bodies but also in the state cabinet, government institutions, universities, corporations and the bureaucracy.
The organisation said there is a growing perception among sections of the community that Congress is reluctant to field Muslim candidates even in constituencies where they have a strong chance of winning.
Referring to recent remarks attributed to Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, the federation said the Congress leadership had emphasised greater participation and representation of minorities within the party structure. It urged the party to reflect those principles while selecting candidates for the upcoming Legislative Council and Rajya Sabha elections.
The federation reiterated its demand that Congress nominate at least two Muslim leaders to the Legislative Council and ensure representation through at least one Rajya Sabha seat from Karnataka.