Karnataka: OBC event minus 3 Ahinda leaders spark speculations of realignment around Siddu

Bengaluru: A major Ahinda gathering in Bengaluru on Sunday, marked by the absence of three senior leaders once closely associated with Siddaramaiah and projecting only the former chief minister, has fuelled speculation about a possible realignment within the social coalition ahead of the 2028 assembly elections in Karnataka.

The event, the silver jubilee celebrations of the Karnataka State Backward Castes Federation, saw Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM G Parameshwara deliver the main speeches. Three prominent Ahinda leaders—minister Satish Jarkiholi, minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan and former minister HC Mahadevappa—were conspicuous by their absence.

The three had been part of Siddaramaiah’s inner political circle. It later emerged that the organisers had not invited them to the event.


Jarkiholi, a prominent Scheduled Tribe leader, confirmed that he did not attend because he had not received an invitation. He also sought to distance the Ahinda movement from any individual, saying it did not belong to one person.

The development comes at a time when questions are being raised over the future leadership of the Ahinda movement. Ahinda—an acronym for minorities, backward classes and Dalits—has been central to Siddaramaiah’s political identity and electoral strategy for nearly two decades. A Kuruba, or backward-class leader himself, Siddaramaiah has built a broad social coalition around the three large community/religious groups.

At Sunday’s event, Siddaramaiah sought to reinforce that political positioning, calling on Ahinda communities to intensify the demand for 75% reservation for Dalits, backward classes and minorities in government jobs and in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.

The former CM’s renewed assertion comes months after the AICC leadership replaced him with DK Shivakumar as chief minister in June. Siddaramaiah has since maintained a relatively low profile and skipped the Congress Legislature Party meeting chaired by Shivakumar last month.

At the same time, Jarkiholi had been emerging as an important voice within the Ahinda space. Siddaramaiah’s minister-son Yathindra Siddaramaiah had earlier projected Jarkiholi as a future leader of the movement. Jarkiholi had also expressed his aspiration for the chief minister’s post in 2028. More recently, however, he has developed a good political rapport with Shivakumar, possibly leaving sections of Ahinda members displeased.

Siddaramaiah, 78, has said he will not contest the 2028 assembly election, citing the growing influence of money in electoral politics. He has, however, made it clear that he intends to remain active in public life.