Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has dismissed his political secretary, Naseer Ahmed, following allegations that he failed to support the Congress party's official candidate during the April 9 by-election in Davangere South.
The removal leaves Siddaramaiah without a political secretary, with the previous office-holder, K. Govindaraj, having been removed in June 2025 after a stampede outside the Chinnaswamy stadium resulted in 11 deaths.
Senior Congress figures had accused Ahmed and others of not backing the party's chosen candidate, Samarth Mallikarjun, and instead supporting rival contenders.
The controversy centres on dissatisfaction among some minority leaders over the party's ticket decision, with claims that Ahmed, along with Housing and Minorities Affairs Minister B. Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan and leader Abdul Jabbar, had pushed for a Muslim candidate.
Deputy Chief Minister and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president D. K. Shivakumar said Ahmed had been assigned a specific task during the bypoll, which he failed to fulfill.
The disciplinary action follows a series of developments within the party, including Abdul Jabbar's resignation as chairperson of the Congress minorities department on April 11.
