Will bypolls make Karnataka govt. dither on caste census report again?

Ahead of Cabinet meeting on October 24, caste lobbies opposed to it are holding meetings

As the State Cabinet is expected to discuss the socio economic and educational survey (caste census) conducted by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes during the next Cabinet scheduled on October 24, communities opposed to the census are holding consultations to bring pressure on the government to drop the plan.

While Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had earlier announced that the caste census would be taken up for discussion in the Cabinet on October 18, government sources said that the Cabinet notice has now been issued for October 24.

“There is no postponement of Cabinet as such since it had not been convened at all. The notice for October 24 has been issued. But we are not sure if the issue would be taken up in the light of byelections to three constituencies announced by the Election Commission,” said sources, adding that are fears of it “backfiring” just ahead of bypolls.

Mahasabha meeting

Meanwhile, the Akhila Bharatha Veerashaiva Mahasabha, which is spearheading the Opposition from the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community, on Thursday held preliminary meetings with the community leaders, and has invited all the elected representatives, including Cabinet Ministers from the community, for a meeting to discuss the pros and cons of the caste census report on October 22.

The Mahasabha is headed by the Congress legislator and former Minister Shamanur Shivashankarappa, and his son S.S. Mallikarjun is a Cabinet Minister. Besides, Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre is the secretary general of the Mahasabha. On Thursday, Mr. Shivashankarappa also met former Chief Minister and BJP strongman B.S. Yediyurappa to drum up support against the caste census being brought before the Cabinet. The Mahasabha has in the past vehemently opposed the survey report in the current form and has cited alleged inaccuracies in data collection. It has also disputed the population figure of Veerashaiva-Lingayats that has emerged in the leaked data.

While the caste census was conducted during the first tenure of Mr. Siddaramaiah by the Backward Classes Commission headed by H. Kantharaj in 2017, the report was submitted to the government early this year by the commission headed by K. Jayaprakash Hegde. The leaked census data, whose veracity till now cannot be ascertained, has ruffled feathers in the deeply caste-entrenched political landscape in the State.

Community leaders meet

Mahasabha secretary H.M. Renuka Prasanna said they had already held informal meetings with Vokkaliga community leaders, and that there is a possibility of holding a formal join meeting to oppose the caste census.

The elected council of Vokkaliga Sangha is meeting on Friday to discuss the consequences of the census expected to be brought before the Cabinet. “We have in-principle already opposed the caste census at a meeting of elected representatives chaired by Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar. We are opposed to the census report in the current form. The board of directors are meeting on Friday to discuss the issue,” said Ashok S.D. Jayaram, one of the directors of Vokkaliga Sangha.

Published - October 17, 2024 08:51 pm IST