Bengaluru, April 12, 2026: In a fresh sign of deepening internal fissures within the Karnataka Congress, K. Abdul Jabbar, three-time MLC and Chairman of the KPCC Minority Department (also referred to as the Minority Wing or Minority Cell), has resigned from his post amid allegations of infighting and poor coordination among minority leaders during the recent Davanagere South Assembly bypoll.
Jabbar, who had served in the role for about five years, tendered his resignation earlier this month (reportedly on April 3) but made it public on Saturday, April 11. In his resignation letter addressed to KPCC President and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, he cited "recent political developments in Davanagere and across Karnataka during the by-elections" as the reason forcing him to step down. He expressed a "heavy sense of sadness" while noting that he had worked to the best of his ability during the 2023 Assembly elections, Parliament polls, and other party campaigns.
# Fallout from Davanagere South Bypoll
The resignation comes in the aftermath of the Davanagere South bypoll, where internal discord over candidate selection and campaign strategy reportedly affected the party's performance. Congress fielded Samarth Mallikarjun as its candidate in a constituency with a significant Muslim voter base. Jabbar himself was an aspirant for the ticket, and the decision not to field a Muslim candidate had already sparked discontent within the minority community.
A group of Muslim Congress leaders, including Chief Whip in the Legislative Council Saleem Ahmed, MLAs Rizwan Arshad and Yasir Ahmed Khan Pathan, and MLC Bilkis Bano, held a press conference alleging that some senior party members had "conspired" to defeat the official candidate. They claimed there were attempts to project that Congress had "betrayed" Muslims. Allegations of non-cooperation and factional fighting also surfaced, with some reports pointing to tensions involving Minister B.Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan.
An internal report submitted by AICC in-charge secretary Abhishek Dutt reportedly highlighted factionalism, poor coordination among minority functionaries, and defiance of the party's directive to campaign unitedly as factors that may have hurt Congress in the bypoll.
# Jabbar's Reaction and Party Response
Speaking after the development, Jabbar questioned the circumstances, asking, “What mistake did I commit?” He expressed disappointment over not being consulted during the bypoll campaign and said he would abide by any decision of the party high command. Some reports suggested his resignation was seen as a pre-emptive move following the internal report.
Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has accepted the resignation. In a statement, he announced that the Minority Cell committee formed under Jabbar’s leadership has been dissolved with immediate effect, and steps would be taken to constitute a new committee soon.
The episode has triggered broader discussions of unrest in Karnataka Congress, including reports of the high command seeking action against certain leaders and possible changes in the upcoming cabinet reshuffle. Analysts view the bypoll fallout as a potential flashpoint that could widen existing rifts between senior leaders in the party.
This development underscores ongoing challenges for the Congress in managing factional interests, particularly within its minority outreach, ahead of future electoral battles in the state.
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