The Karnataka caste census is yet another “guarantee gimmick,” said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing the Congress of resorting to another convenient tactic to deflect people’s attention from the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) site allotment case, which threatens Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s chair.
Criticising the Congress’s promise to table and implement the controversial report, the opposition BJP compared it to the ruling party’s election promises, which they claimed they would deliver but failed to follow through.
Speaking to News18, BJP state president BY Vijayendra said the caste census is like yet another guarantee. “When they came to power, they promised the people of Karnataka guarantees among many things but failed to deliver them on time. This is also another guarantee that has been promised; the question is, will it actually see the light of day,” Vijayendra asked, accusing Siddaramaiah of using the caste census whenever he or his party faces political challenges.
The BJP state chief called it another separate effort made by Siddaramaiah to use the caste census as a political tool to claim his position as a leader of the Dalits, as he claims, when in reality his standing among them has waned. “The Chief Minister is counting his days and is trying to divert the issue and create pressure within his party,” he said.
“He is trying to send a message to the Congress high command that he is still strong and continues to enjoy the support of the MLAs. He is trying to divert the issue from MUDA. Why are they afraid to table the census,” Vijayendra questioned.
Congress Counters BJP
The Congress countered this by questioning the BJP as to why it had not acted on the report of the previous Kantharaj Commission when it was ready during the BJP regime. They accused the BJP of shelving it during their regime.
The Congress asked why the BJP was afraid to talk about corruption in the party and corrupt leaders like Nirmala Sitharaman.
“What is the link between MUDA and the caste census? Why is the BJP not talking about Nirmala Sitharaman and the serious issue of electoral bonds? Out of the 70 cabinet ministers in the Modi government, 40 per cent of them are facing criminal charges, as they are all the number one accused in those cases. Why not talk about that? Who is deflecting the issue now,” asked Santosh Lad, Karnataka Congress minister.
Caste Census Report by Next Month: Siddaramaiah
The issue of the caste census came up again on Sunday when Siddaramaiah, while addressing an event organised by the Alumni Association of Hostels for Backward Classes in Mysuru, said that he would present the report in front of the Cabinet by next month.
He said that people from the backward classes in Karnataka are still deprived of opportunities in society and that there is a need to identify them and provide them with equal opportunities as others.
“That’s why I initiated the caste survey and will aim to get it implemented. Our government is trying to bring that change. Our government conducted the social census to recognise and uplift the marginalised sections of society,” Siddaramaiah said, blaming their loss of power in 2018 for the delay in releasing the caste census report.
Caste Equations in Karnataka
Karnataka, with a population of over 7 crore, is home to nearly 1,500 castes, sub-castes, and other groups. The two dominant communities are the Lingayats and Vokkaligas. Lingayats claim to make up 17-18 per cent and Vokkaligas 14-15 per cent of the population, and leaders of both communities have opposed the census, as leaked data suggests their populations may be lower than popular estimates. Experts said the leaked numbers show both groups below 10 per cent, raising concerns that they could lose out on social and welfare benefits, which poses a significant dilemma for the three political parties in Karnataka: the Congress, BJP, and JDS.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, considered Karnataka’s tallest popular AHINDA leader, belongs to the Kuruba community, a group of shepherds classified under the 2A category of Karnataka’s Other Backward Classes (OBC). BS Yediyurappa belongs to the Lingayat community and is considered the tallest Lingayat leader in the BJP. Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy, as well as the Deve Gowda family, belong to the Vokkaliga community. Both the Lingayats and Vokkaligas are politically and economically powerful in the state.
The Kurubas have been advocating for their inclusion in the ST category like their Jenu Kurubas, Betta Kurubas, and Kadu Kurubas, who bear similar names but, unlike the shepherd class, are forest dwellers and listed as Scheduled Tribes (ST).
Lingayats, Karnataka’s largest and most influential caste group, fall under the 3B OBC category with a 5 per cent reservation. The Panchamasalis, another Lingayat sub-sect, have been advocating for inclusion in the 2A category.
Differences Within Congress Fuelling Delay?
The caste census was commissioned in 2015 by Siddaramaiah during his first term as CM. It was later put on hold by the subsequent governments, even though it was a topic that arose from time to time. The Congress termed the data collected as part of the caste census in 2015 as “unscientific” and asked the backward class commission to utilise the data collected by the H Kantharaj Commission and prepare a new report.
After nearly a decade of the census being commissioned in 2015, it was finally submitted on February 29 this year by Jayaprakash Hegde, chairperson of the state backward classes commission. However, the Congress government has been seen delaying tabling the census report in the Cabinet since then.
Hegde, while speaking earlier to News18 after the report was submitted, reiterated that the earlier survey report had no empirical data and there were apprehensions that the estimates collected by the previous commission, led by H Kantharaj, were not the exact numbers.
“We have carried out a door-to-door data survey and collected actual numbers,” said Hegde, adding that they had also taken the data collected in the survey by the Kantharaj commission before preparing and submitting their latest report.
According to a senior Congress leader from the Kalyana Karnataka region, the caste census is being objected to by the Lingayats especially as it will reveal that even Yediyurappa will be considered a part of backward classes, as he is from the Ganiga sect, and it will affect their standing among Lingayats.
“The numbers of the Lingayats and Vokkaligas are very different, and it may tilt the political structure,” said the leader, who requested anonymity.
The Congress had made the caste census report a part of their party’s promises during the 2023 Assembly election campaign. Similar caste surveys in states like Bihar and Rahul Gandhi’s call for a nationwide caste census have further complicated Siddaramaiah’s position.
The Siddaramaiah Cabinet is also divided over the issue, with ministers from the two communities having signed petitions submitted by their respective community organisations against the census.
Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and several Vokkaliga ministers signed a petition against the report in November last year, showing divisions within the party. Last week, the Veerashaiva-Lingayats also echoed their opposition by urging the government to discard the report and conduct a new survey.
Industries Minister MB Patil, who belongs to the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community and had opposed the survey, is known to align with the Siddaramaiah camp.
According to experts, the leaked report contains recommendations from the commission regarding reservations in education and public employment, along with targeted programmes for communities that remain disadvantaged. Sources say that the commission has proposed classifying castes based on the social, economic, and educational conditions of different communities. While initially, 1,351 castes and sub-castes were documented before the survey began, the data collection exercise uncovered more than 1,820 castes and sub-castes. Additionally, over 400 newly identified castes emerged in the state, primarily due to migration from other states.
In order to appease his leaders who were opposed to the census report being tabled, Siddaramaiah said that the report would not harm anyone.
“Even if it harms anyone, we will resolve it,” Siddaramaiah said in a statement, adding that with over Rs 168 crore spent on the survey, it needs to be accepted. He explained that the intention of the caste survey is to understand the social, economic, and educational status of communities after 75 years of independence and the need to provide preferential treatment to the deprived sections of society.
“Without a caste census and socio-economic survey, it cannot be ascertained,” he said earlier.
Political analyst Sandeep Shastri is of the opinion that with the MUDA issue becoming such a major concern, Siddaramaiah is using his unique selling point (USP) to his advantage. The Chief Minister’s USP is that he is known to be a prominent leader for the backward classes, and many see him as a leader of that stature after Devaraj Urs.
“When faced with the possibility of the biggest change in his career, he is hoping to cash in on what he thinks is his USP. He uses every possible opportunity to talk about the caste census or helping the poor and backward classes. These communities have been the true vote bank that have supported him in his political career,” he observed.
When asked whether the caste census will see the light of day, Shastri believes it is only lip service, as there is enough opposition within his party, including his own Deputy Chief Minister, who has made it public that he is against it.