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Reservation demands by prominent communities add to Yediyurappa's troubles
The chief minister, who turns 78 on 27 February, has struggled to manage expectations from various communities.
Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa on Tuesday found himself in an uncomfortable spot as an influential seer of the Valmiki community threatened to go on an indefinite hunger strike if the government does not accept demands of increasing reservation opportunities.
"By 9 March if this (increase in reservation) does not happen, I will start an indefinite hunger strike," Prasananda Swami, an influential seer of the Valmiki community, said on Tuesday in Rajanahalli, Davangere, about 265 kilometres from Bengaluru.
"If the government does not announce this and I die, all of you....," he said, cutting short his sentence while the crowd roared in support.
CM Yediyurappa had flown to Davangere in a chopper to attend the Maharshi Valmiki Jaatre fair. Yediyurappa, who was seated next to the seer on the stage, was seen asking the pontiff not to make such statements.
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The community, classified as Scheduled Tribe, is demanding that their reservation be increased from around 3 per cent to 7.5 per cent to provide more opportunities.
"I have already constituted a committee under (Justice) Nagmohan Das and they have submitted a report. We are reviewing this," Yediyurappa said.
"The Swamiji has made statements out of pain and he has every right to make them as he is seeking better opportunities for members of this community," the CM added.
Yediyurappa assured to look into the demands at the earliest.
The developments come at a time when seers from various communities and prominent political leaders, including from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), have backed these campaigns and their respective demands, adding to Yediyurappa's troubles.
The Panchamasali, a sect under the dominant Lingayat community, have demanded to be included in the 2B category. The Kurubas, another politically influential community, also held a rally which culminated in Bengaluru on Sunday and demanded to be categorised as Scheduled Tribes (ST).
Basangouda Patil (Yatnal), one of the harshest critics of Yediyurappa, was at the forefront of the Panchamasali campaign. Rural Development and Panchayati Raj minister from Yediyurappa's home district of Shivamogga is leading the campaign for the Kuruba community.
B Sriramulu and Ramesh Jarkiholi are two prominent leaders from the Valmiki community who flanked the chief minister on his arrival at the Valmiki rally.
The chief minister, who turns 78 on 27 February, has struggled to manage expectations from various communities who the BJP either considers their core-support base or would like to get their backing to help the saffron camp return to power with a full majority in the 2023 Karnataka assembly polls.
Yediyurappa has left himself vulnerable to demands from turncoat ministers, who helped him to power, forcing him to make four reshuffles in five days. The cabinet choices and reshuffles have increased the divide within multiple factions operating within the BJP in Karnataka.
The chief minister's relations with the high command in Delhi has soured in recent months that leaves him fighting one crisis after another within his government and party, much to the advantage of the opposition.
Yediyurappa's statement in the legislative assembly, that he had no powers of his own and all demands of reservations have to be discussed with the central leadership, had painted a bleak picture of helplessness and inability to deal with matters of the state.
