‘Congress will raise cap from 50% to…’: Siddaramaiah's aggressive quota pitch

The issues of caste census and reservation has put all opposition parties on the same page ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Published on: Apr 26, 2023, 22:07:43 IST

By HT News Desk

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Amid BJP's attempt to corner the grand old party over reservation for Muslims in Karnataka, former chief minister Siddaramaiah said the Congress is committed to increasing the reservation limit from the current 50% to 75%. Making a case for a caste-based Census, the senior Congress leader said his party will also increase reservations for all castes based on their population.

Former chief minister Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar, the president of the KPCC.

“Congress party is committed to increasing the reservation limit from 50% to 75%, and to increase reservation to all castes based on their population,” Siddaramaiah, a Kuruba leader and Karnataka's most popular OBC face, said in a tweet.

With Congress looking to consolidate SC and OBC votes, the party has reignited the issue of caste census in the past few days. Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi made an aggressive pitch for a caste-based census and the removal of 50 per cent ceiling on quota in his recent speech in Karnataka's Kolar, in a bid to turn the tables on the BJP that had been gunning for him over his 2019 "Modi surname" remarks alleging that he insulted OBCs.

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge shot off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the same issue. Several opposition parties have since then raised the pitch for a caste-based census in the country and providing reservations to SCs, STs, and OBCs based on their population.

The Bihar government is already conducting a caste-based survey following after a resolution was passed unanimously in the state assembly. While the BJP unit in Bihar had supported the resolution, the BJP's central leadership is yet to respond to the demand for a socio-economic and caste census now raised by the Congress party.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar said the survey report would help the government in better implementation of welfare schemes for socially and economically disadvantaged groups.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav recently said that it will be an important issue for the 2024 parliamentary elections and is getting support from regional parties.

"'Ram Rajya' and 'Samajwad' is only possible if a caste-based census will take place. Only with the caste-based census Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas will happen, it will bring brotherhood, end discrimination, and strengthen democracy," he said.

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