Fresh Caste Census In Karnataka: What Triggered The Congress Rethink? Is The Last Survey Scrapped? - Explained

(MENAFN- Live Mint) The Karnataka cabinet will decide the timeline for the caste re-enumeration to be conducted in the state within 90 days, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said on 10 June, promising a 'transparent' process that protects the interests of all sections of society.

Shivakumar spoke after the party announced its decision on the caste recount following a high-level meeting with Congress president Mallikarjuna Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi .

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Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was also among the leaders present during the deliberations. "Several ministers and communities have expressed apprehensions, and keeping this in mind, the party leadership has decided to re-enumerate castes in the state," Siddaramaiah told reporters.

A recount could mean either a full re-survey or supplement the existing data using records maintained at the gram panchayat and ward levels. It remains unclear whether the survey that the Congress High Command has approved would mean a completely new survey or a partial survey.

But why re-enumeration?

Karnataka's socio-economic and educational survey was first announced in 2015 during Siddaramaiah's first term as chief minister.

The report of the survey, which reportedly cost ₹165 crore, was prepared by the Karnataka Backwards Classes Commission under then-chairman HK Kantharaj. It was submitted to the chief minister in February 2024, soon after Siddaramaiah returned to power for a second term, by the current chairman, KJ Jayaprakash Hegde.

This report recommended 51 per cent reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs), arguing that OBCs comprise 70 per cent (4.16 crore) of Karnataka's population. The report triggered a controversy among the state's two dominant castes – the Vokkaligas and the Lingayats – who claimed that their communities had been undercounted.

Vokkaliga and Lingayats undercounted?

The Vokkaliga and Lingayat organisations demanded a fresh survey, after their population was found to be a little over 10 per cent and close to 11 per cent, respectively. This, they said, was much less than estimated so far. The Vokkaligas (the caste that Shivakumar belongs to) and Lingayats currently enjoy reservation under the III A and III B categories of the OBC quota in the state.

The non-Kuruba backward classes also raised objections to the recommendation that the Kurubas – a community to which CM Siddaramaiah belongs – be moved from 'more backward' to 'most backward' category.

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Some leaders said that the 2015 data was old and did not reflect the reality on the ground.

So the the Congress high command felt these were serious objections and needed to be addressed, according to sources quoted by The Indian Express.

Opposition Seeks Apology from CM

The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka criticised CM Siddaramaiah for his“usual recklessness” and sought an apology.

Taking to X, Karnataka BJP general secretary Sunil Kumar Karkala contended that the Congress high command“has scrapped the caste census report prepared by the state government.” The report, he said, was“even scheduled to be approved in a cabinet meeting at Nandi Hills. But the Congress high command has now stepped in, rejected the report, and asked for a re-census within a time frame, citing inaccuracies in the data,” he said.

The BJP demanded an apology from the CM and the Congress party for creating“discontent among communities.” The saffron party alleged that CM had pushed for the report marred by discrepancies to be accepted by the cabinet.

The BJP also alleged that the state government is raising the caste census now to cover up its flaws in connection with the recent stampede near the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, in which 11 people were killed

“Whenever the Congress-led state government faces a crisis due to its administrative failures, it brings up the caste census issue. This isn't out of social concern, but rather a constant ploy to divert the attention of the people of the state," state BJP President BY Vijayendra said.

In accordance with the high command's instructions, the Karnataka government has decided to complete the survey and submit the report within 90 days.

No one will be excluded: Dy CM

Shivakumar, who is also the president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), emphasised that the census would be conducted transparently while involving all communities.

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"The cabinet will decide the date and timeline of the survey, which is a long and big process. The CM will announce the date," he said.

The Deputy CM assured that the new census would address the concerns of every community without excluding anyone. He said even those living outside Karnataka would be given an opportunity to enrol through the online mode.

People should not be anxious about our government. We will take into confidence everyone and give justice. This is our party's commitment.

"People should not be anxious about our government. We will take into confidence everyone and give justice. This is our party's commitment," Shivakumar said, appealing to all communities and organisations to cooperate in the survey.

(With PTI inputs)

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