Karnataka govt to deliberate more on OBC quota in local body polls | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
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Karnataka govt to deliberate more on OBC quota in local body polls

By, Bengaluru
May 13, 2022 12:31 AM IST

The Basavaraj Bommai-led state government on Thursday said it will continue deliberations on the issue of providing reservation for backward classes in local body elections before it can hold the polls.

The Basavaraj Bommai-led state government on Thursday said it will continue deliberations on the issue of providing reservation for backward classes in local body elections before it can hold the polls.

Karnataka’s minister for law and parliamentary affairs JC Madhuswamy. (HT)
Karnataka’s minister for law and parliamentary affairs JC Madhuswamy. (HT)

Karnataka’s minister for law and parliamentary affairs JC Madhuswamy told HT on Thursday: “The chief minister, me, legal experts have all discussed this issue today but it hasn’t concluded and we will take it up again day after or on Monday.”

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The discussion comes a day after the Supreme Court directed the respective state election commissions to hold any pending polls for local bodies while hearing a petition specific to Madhya Pradesh.

The polls for Bengaluru City corporation, zilla and taluka panchayat have been delayed over reservation and delimitation-related issues.

“The two orders of the Supreme Court on the issue are being studied. A commission has been constituted to give political representation for the backward classes. The leader of the opposition has written a letter in this regard. All these aspects will be discussed with legal experts while taking the decision. So far, the backward classes had been given political representation in local bodies election,” Bommai said on Thursday morning.

He added that the state government intends to hold the elections only after giving political representation for the Backward Classes.

The local body polls, if held, would serve as an indicator of which the vote would likely to vote in the 2023 assembly elections. The BJP is leaving little to chance as it hopes to return to power on its own next year.

The Bommai government has constituted a commission to collect accurate data on backward classes in the state and submit a report in accordance with the Supreme Court order.

The government has so far made no mention of the existing socio-economic and educational survey, commonly referred to as “caste-census”, conducted in 2015 by the Siddaramaiah-led Congress administration.

The Congress has accused the BJP of deliberately delaying the polls fearing an upset.

“The denying of reservation for backward classes is a problem and is because it was neglected by the government. There was an all-party meeting months ago and nothing has been done on suggestions to use the caste census. Politically backward classes will be affected,” said Dinesh Gundu Rao, Congress legislator and former president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee.

On Wednesday, Congress leader Siddaramaiah said Bommai should formulate reservation for Other backward classes (OBC) on the basis of the Social-Educational and Economic Survey, commonly known as the “caste-census” and present the same in the Supreme Court.

“This is the only solution for us to resolve the issue after the Supreme Court judgment. To prevent injustice to the backward classes, the government should discuss with the legal experts, take the opposition parties into confidence and have to be ready for the legal fight,” he said.

“The BJP is wasting time even though the Supreme Court has given some solution to the issue. I had raised this and warned several months back,” he said.

Karnataka has a strong influence of caste in its society and politics with Lingayats, Vokkaligas and of late, Kurubas playing key roles. Several sections of society have questioned the dominance of larger communities such as Lingayats and Vokkaligas in the political landscape of Karnataka.

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