All seven JD(S) rebels will win polls hands down on Cong tickets: Zameer

Outspoken and forthright, Mr Zameer Ahmed Khan, who has announced his intent to join the Congress along with six other legislators after a  few tumultuous years in JD(S), does not mince his words when taking on party supremo H.D. Deve Gowda and state unit chief H.D. Kumaraswamy. Accusing the duo of trying to destroy the careers of popular leaders like him, he exudes confidence about winning the coming assembly poll.  “You can take it from me that all seven of us will win the Assembly polls hands down on Congress tickets,” he asserts.  And he has his own take on what the Congress’ election strategy should be for the coming poll, stressing it must  focus on Muslim votes as they will go en masse  to it.  Excerpts from an interview with Deccan Chronicle.

Let us begin with your exit from the Janata Dal (S). Mr  Deve Gowda and Mr Kumaraswamy claim that they were ready to retain you but you ditched them. However, you and your friends maintain they forced you out. What’s the truth?
They never said they wanted to retain us in the party. We have been saying all along that we were not wrong in any way and followed the diktats of H.D. Kumaraswamy. He  told us to vote for the Congress candidate in the Rajya Sabha elections, but they sacked us for this reason. 

How could you think of voting against the party candidate, when he was a Muslim?
No doubt he was a Muslim, but our point was, why should an outsider be brought in.  Didn’t we have Muslim leaders in the party, who were loyal to it?  Danish Ali has been with the party for so long. He was promised a RS seat several times, but nothing came through. There is a gentleman, Zafrulla Khan, who has been with Mr Gowda for very long time. He could have been nominated. Why do you always bring outsiders for the RS polls? You are saying we ditched Mr Gowda. Then why did leaders like N.M. Nabi, Roshan Baig, and Abdul Azeem  leave him in the past? Father and son do not like popular leaders and  feel threatened by them. So they try to finish their careers. Who will stay back in this party if they torture them so?

Of the seven legislators who left, at least four or five have the potential of winning elections on their own steam. Do you think Mr Gowda was so ill-advised that he decided to  lose these seats by their exit?
We questioned their decisions. We opposed the entry of outsiders. We were the stumbling block to their financial dealings. We fought with them during the Legislative Council nominations. Only after we  put our foot down were Abdul Azeem and Mr Agha  made members. Now there is no one to fight with them and they can freely sell seats (smiles).

You know Mr Deve Gowda very well. He could get back at you for this.
Yes, we are aware of that. He has been making efforts to do that. But you must remember that  it is not Mr Deve Gowda, who can defeat us. Let him go to any extent and try. It is the voters in our respective constituencies, who will decide our fate. In my case, voters treat me like one of their family and not as a political leader. You can take it from me now, all the seven of us who crossed over to the Congress, will win hands down.

Do you think the Congress party will give you all tickets?
Yes. It was Rahulji who promised us and Congress leaders will never go back on their word. I will give you one example of H.T. Sangliana. He voluntarily voted in favour of the Nuclear Bill in 2008 and during the discussion with Soniaji and Rahulji,  asked for a Congress ticket for the 2009 parliamentary polls from Bengaluru Central constituency. And they obliged him overlooking party veteran, C.K. Jaffer Sharief’s request. That clearly shows how Congress party honours its promises. 

But the Congress has so many Muslim leaders that you might not be given importance in it.
We are not joining the Congress party for power. We want mental peace. Having gone through so much torture, we feel relaxed and relieved now. I want to serve people and I need a political platform for that and I got it here. The Congress has several senior Muslim leaders. People will decide who should be the Muslim leader. I am ready to work under anybody.

Many feel that you are a die-hard supporter of former Union minister Mr Jaffer Sharief and since he has a running feud with Rahman Khan, the latter may work against you.
(smiles) You do not know me. Mr Rahman Khan is very fond of me because I respect him and I like him. His elder son is sitting outside this chamber. Since I have no ambition to become a minister, I have no axe to grind.

Many people say the Congress government’s appeasement politics will boomerang on it in the elections.
People are dejected with the BJP. You have seen the plight of the common man after demonetisation and the implementation of GST. People thought Narendra Modi would do something good and so voted for the BJP in the 2014 polls. But particularly after the UP assembly elections, Muslims have seen the real colour of the BJP. Now, they have realised that Congress is the only party that can protect their interests. What do Muslims want from a government? A peaceful atmosphere and security, that’s all. And they know only the Congress can ensure this. 

But then why did Muslim religious institutions in Karnataka hold a meeting to decide to back the Congress? Recently, the same institutions held a meeting with Urdu journalists and asked them to back the Congress party. Doesn’t this show the Congress is  worried about parties like SDPI or MIM taking away its votes?
No. Unless Muslims are told, they will not work unitedly.  That’s why this ground work is being done. I feel the SDPI too has realised that it should rally behind the Congress although it has a foothold here. So, we are confident that Muslims will en mass back the Congress party this time.

Recently while criticising the BJP, you literally warned that people had not seen your other face. Are you using your popularity to terrorise people?
The video, which has surfaced, was made last year. A local city municipal councillor from Mysuru, Sandesh Swamy, had criticised me during a press conference. There were two Muslim leaders seated next to him, who supported him. I called them Mir Sadiks. The statement was meant for them and was in a lighter vein. I did not  make any comment against any leader.

If people are upset with statements of Union Minister Anant Kumar Hegde and BJP MP, Pratap Simha, they can also be worried over your statement. Will this not damage the Congress party?
A: No. I am not a rowdy or tapori. I have never made statements about changing the Constitution. This will not harm the Congress party’s prospects.