Date:27/04/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/04/27/stories/2008042752480300.htm

Karnataka

Muslims in Chitradurga to support Congress

Staff Correspondent

Chitradurga: Claiming that a large chunk of Muslims voters were with the Congress, a group of Muslim leaders have asserted that the people of the community would support the Congress in the Assembly election.

Muslim leaders, including Noorullah Patel, T.M. K. Zakriya and CMC member Abdul Jabbar told presspersons here on Saturday that the Muslims, who had been with the Congress since long, would again vote for the party.

Their announcement has gained significance after the declaration of Congress district minority leader M.K. Tajpeer that the Muslims would campaign against the Congress if the party failed to issue ticket to a minority candidate.

Mr. Tajpeer was a ticket aspirant, but the Congress high command gave the ticket to the former MLA G.H. Tippareddy, who won the seat three times in a row. On Thursday, Mr. Tajpeer along with some local leaders had announced that the Muslim community would do anything to defeat the Congress if he was denied the ticket.

Countering his decision, the leaders on Friday accused Mr. Tajpeer of playing selfish politics. “Mr. Tajpeer was given ticket in 1999 elections by the Congress, but he lost against Mr. Tippareddy who contested as an independent. Moreover, why does he raise the issue of minorities only during elections. Where was he before the announcement of elections?,” asked Mr. Jabbar.

Although Mr. Jabbar said that the community would have preferred the Congress fielding a Muslim candidate, including Mr. Tajpeer, the community would support Mr. Tippareddy since the party decided to field him.