In a sharp escalation of the brewing rebellion within the Congress ahead of the April 9 by-election to the Davangere South Assembly constituency, independent candidate Mohammad Sadiq Pailwan has publicly told Housing Minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan and other party leaders to “go back” without first addressing the grievances of the Muslim and backward-class communities.

In an interview, Pailwan, a prominent local Congress leader who filed his nomination as a rebel after being denied the party ticket, accused the Congress of betraying the minority community that has consistently supported the party for years.

“We supported the Congress in the state elections. But what did we get in return? Nothing, no recognition, no positions, no ticket,” Pailwan said.

“Zameer Ahmed Khan was with us earlier, but now he is campaigning against us. If he and other Congress leaders want to convince me, they should first go to the community and get their approval. Only then should they come to me.”

Pailwan emphasised that individual appeals would not sway him.

“First, our community elders and the minority, backward, and Dalit (AHINDA) sections must discuss and decide. Only after that should anyone approach me. I do not need anyone to convince me personally,” he added.

The rebel leader revealed that despite a recent high-level meeting of minority Congress MLAs and leaders in the region, no one from the party’s 30–40-member outreach team had contacted him.

“They are calling cabinet ministers and making plans, but no one has spoken to me. That itself shows their attitude,” he said.

Pailwan named several senior Muslim leaders, including Zameer Ahmed Khan, Naseer Ahmed, Tanveer Sait, Rizwan Arshad, and Rahman Khan, whom he claimed had also been sidelined by the party despite their long service.

“We have been ignored. That is why I have entered the fray, to teach Congress a lesson,” he declared.

He dismissed the possibility of any last-minute patch-up, comparing the current mood in the community to a point of no return.

“Even if God himself comes down to earth and asks, the people are in no mood to listen now,” Pailwan remarked.

The by-election was necessitated by the death of veteran Congress leader and former MLA Shamanur Shivashankarappa in December 2025.

The Congress has fielded his grandson, Samartha Shamanur (son of Mines Minister S.S. Mallikarjun), as its official candidate, triggering strong resentment among a significant section of Muslim voters in the constituency, where the community forms a crucial vote bank.

Pailwan, who had been demanding a minority candidate for over a decade, filed his nomination as an independent after the party overlooked several Muslim aspirants, including himself.

Reports indicate that as many as 23 Muslim candidates are currently in the fray, though several are expected to withdraw by the March 26 deadline and consolidate behind Pailwan.

The development has put the Congress on the defensive in what was traditionally considered a party bastion.

Senior Congress leaders, including Zameer Ahmed Khan, have been tasked with damage control and community outreach, but Pailwan’s firm stand suggests the rebellion is far from over.

Pailwan concluded his interview with a call for unity among minorities and backward classes, ending with the slogan “Jai Hind, Jai Karnataka.”

The by-poll on April 9 is being keenly watched as a litmus test for the Congress government’s handling of minority aspirations ahead of future electoral battles in the state.