Karnataka Polls: Congress Committed To Hike Reservation Quota To 75%, Says Siddaramaiah

Former Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah has strongly batted for a hike in the reservation quota in the state.

Siddaramaiah questioned the BJP government's move to scrap the 4% reservation for Muslims.

With just a fortnight left for the Karnataka Assembly Election 2023, Congress leader and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said that his party is "committed to increasing the reservation limit from 50% to 75%, and to increase reservation to all castes based on their population".

Karnataka currently has a 66% reservation, including 10% for those under the economically weaker section (EWS) quota. The Congress party is now backing a reservation policy that would hike the reserved seats for government employment to 75%.

Earlier in an interview to The New Indian Express, Siddaramaiah had said: "The 17 per cent proposed internal reservation has been divided -- 6 per cent for SC-Left, 5.5 per cent for SC-Right, 4.5 per cent for Touchables and 1 per cent for others. But the 17 per cent increased quota is not valid yet."

He also questioned the BJP government's move to scrap the 4% reservation for Muslims. "Vokkaligas had sought 12% reservation based on their population, and Lingayats wanted to be in the 2A category. But the government, after leaving this, scrapped the 4 per cent reservation for Muslims," he told TNIE. Just days before the Model Code of Conduct came into force, the BJP government in Karnataka scrapped four per cent reservation for Muslims under 2B category of the Other Backward Castes.

After making 2B redundant, the Karnataka government split the four per cent reservation, giving two per cent each to the two dominant communities of the state, Vokkaligas in 2C and Lingayats in 2D category. Muslims were then placed in the EWS category.

Siddaramaiah believes a 10% EWS quota given on merit could result in others losing out on opportunities. He justified reservations based on population based on economic conditions, social status, and education.

BJP ON CONGRESS'S RESERVATION POLICY

Reacting to the Siddaramaiah's comment, BJP leader and former CM BS Yediyurappa said that Congress cannot implement such policy as it will "lose miserably".

Earlier in the day, the BJP hit out at the Congress, accusing it of engaging in dirty politics using religion. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that Congress used ‘mazhab’ (religion) to come to power. Singh also slammed the party for having introduced four per cent reservation, in its earlier term, on religious lines in Karnataka, saying it had been done only to appease Muslims.

“If there is any political party in the history of India which took the support of ‘dharma’, or rather, 'mazhab' to come to power, then it is Congress,” Singh said, addressing a public meeting at Kagwad in Belagavi district.

“We will welcome if an economically-weaker Muslim or a Christian gets reservation benefits but the Constitution of India does not permit religion-based reservation,” the Defence Minister said.