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Will contest Karnataka polls if 2A reservationdemand not met by BJP govt: Panchamasali seer
The Panchamasalis, a peasant community, want to be included in category 2A (15%) of the OBC reservation matrix. They are currently included under 3B (5%).
Bengaluru: A Panchamasali seer in Karnataka on Wednesday said the community is contemplating fielding 52 candidates as independents in the upcoming assembly polls, a statement seen as a direct threat to the ruling BJP, which has been on the receiving end of the community’s ire over the reservation issue.
Kudalasangama Panchamasali Peeth seer Basava Jaya Mruthyunjaya Swami, who is on an indefinite protest at the Freedom Park in Bengaluru, said the March 15 deadline given to the state government to grant the Panchamasali community Category 2A status for OBC reservation was over.
“People from 52 constituencies where our community has the presence are coming forward seeking blessing to contest elections as independents. We haven’t yet agreed to it since we don’t want to get into electoral politics,” Mruthyunjaya told reporters. “But we will hold a state-level meeting tomorrow (Thursday) and take a final decision on this proposal.”
The elections to the 224-member Karnataka legislative assembly are scheduled in next few months.
The Panchamasalis are the largest group within the powerful Lingayat umbrella in Karnataka, and have been asking for an increased proportion of OBC reservations. The Lingayat — a community that boasts current BJP chief minister Basavaraj Bommai and his predecessor BS Yediyurappa among its tallest leaders — form at least 18% of the state’s population, and Panchamasalis are over half that number.
The Panchamasali, a peasant community, wants to be included in category 2A (15%) of the OBC reservation matrix. They are currently included under 3B (5%).
Accusing the BJP-led government of failing to address the community’s concerns, the seer threatened to hit the streets if the reservation demand not met.
“As of today (Wednesday), our Satyagraha (protest) has completed 61 days. We had given time to the government till March 15 to take a decision on the reservation,” he said. “We are telling them clearly that if a decision is not taken by April 10, we will hit the streets to campaign against those working against the community.”
The community has come up with three options for protest — fielding independent candidates, boycotting the elections and campaigning against those not providing the reservation.
The seer said the final decision will be taken based on the community’s state-level meeting and the decision taken by the government in its next cabinet meeting.
“We have been told that the cabinet meeting will be held in the coming days. We will see if our demands are met. If not, we will start our state-wide campaign. If they give us our demands, we will hold celebrations thanking (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi and (home minister) Amit Shah,” Mruthyunjaya added.
In January, the seer had written to PM Modi, claiming the community has “lost trust in CM Basavaraj Bommai” while pressing for the 2A category demand.
A BJP spokesperson said the party will soon release a statement on the issue.
