Karnataka: BJP fights for Cong’s Dalit pie with ‘internal reservation’ move

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka is now eyeing the traditional Congress vote bank of Right tribes of Dalits besides looking to strengthen its own vote base of the Left tribes.

Scheduled Castes (SCs) in Karnataka are broadly divided into two types of communities — Right and Left Dalits, sociologically considered as “touchable” and “untouchable” Dalits, respectively. For instance, the Holeyas call themselves “Right,” while the Madigas are considered “Left”.

The Right Dalits normally include labourers while the Left Dalits include the “scavengers,” who are left out of regular life, including education, at the village level even today.

For a decade, the BJP has been getting the support of the Left tribes, while the Congress has the conventional support of the Right tribes. However, a few communities within the latter community are reportedly being “neglected,” and BJP plans to attract those into its fold.

That is reportedly the major reason for the Basavaraj Bommai government to consider the growing clamour for internal reservation after a rise in the quota for SCs and Scheduled Tribes (STs). It has now formed a sub-committee under the chairmanship of Law Minister JC Madhuswamy to study and suggest recommendations on “internal reservations.”

Election strategy

However, the move is being seen as an election strategy of the BJP, as the Assembly elections in the state are due in a few months. The BJP, on the backfoot in the state, seems to be actively calculating the numbers it needs to eat into the traditional Congress votes.

Following the recommendations of the Justice HN Nagamohan Das Commission, reservation for SCs was increased from 15 to 17 per cent, and that for STs from 3 to 7 per cent. However, recently, the Dalit communities started protesting and demanding internal reservations. The government’s move on election eve makes it seem like a “caste calculation.”

The BJP wants to gain the support of one section of Dalits, i.e., the Edakai Dalits (Left), as the Balagai Dalits (Right) usually support the Congress. Though the Left Dalits also used to support the Congress conventionally, they started supporting BJP around 10 years ago, as the saffron party started identifying their neglected sections.

Experts say it’s the Right Dalits that normally utilise the reservation benefits, as they are traditionally considered “superior” to the Left Dalits. There are 101 classified tribes among the SCs, and microscopic tribes have been neglected for decades. The BJP is trying to identify them and turn them into its vote base, a senior BJP leader told The Federal.

Political representation

Considering political representation, the Right Dalits are well represented in the Congress. AICC president Mallikarjuna Kharge, Dr G Parameshwara, and Dr HC Mahadevappa are three prominent names from the category. On the other hand, followers of Left Dalit leader KH Muniappa claim that he is being cornered in the party.

In contrast, the BJP has given a leg up to Left Dalits, with Chitradurga MP A Narayana Swamy now being a state minister in the Modi cabinet and Govinda Karajola being a minister in Karnataka government (his name was even considered for the CM’s post).

The BJP has also identified Madiga leader Govind Karjola as a prominent minister in the forefront. Former CM BS Yeddyurappa and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai have made trips to Dalit houses and had dinner with the families as a political strategy in the run-up to the elections.

Internal reservation

The increase in reservation percentage has been set through an ordinance but is yet to take shelter under the 9th Schedule of the Constitution. Amid that comes the discussion on internal reservation within the SCs — something that has been demanded for three decades.

In September 2005, the Dharam Singh-led Congress-JDS coalition government set up a commission headed by Justice AJ Sadashiva in the wake of widespread complaints that “touchable” castes within the SC were “consuming” the quotas. Although the Sadashiva Commission had a survey limit of only two years, it submitted its report in June 2012 after a delay of seven years, thanks to a lack of financial and other facilities. BJP’s Sadananda Gowda was then the Chief Minister.

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The Sadashiva Commission classified 101 subcastes of the SCs into four groups and allocated 15 per cent reservation based on population. Within the 15 per cent population of Dalits in Karnataka, 33.4 per cent are Left (Madigas), 32 per cent are Right (Holeyas), while the remaining 23.64 per cent are “untouchable.” The Commission provided 5 per cent internal reservation for the Right tribe, 6 per cent for the Left tribe, 1 per cent each for the Bovi, Lambani, and Koram-Korcha (touchable tribes), and 1 per cent for the nomadic “untouchable” castes.

The Commission also found out that there were 20.54 lakh Dalit families in the state and the community’s population is more than 96 lakh. Other sources say that 138,000 people serve in the central and state governments under SC reservation. If the 6 per cent internal reservation for Madigas (Left) is applied, only 55,200 of them can gain government jobs. Currently, they occupy only 23,000 posts. So, they are deprived of 32,000 posts.

Quota clamour in poll season

This proves that no matter how much reservation percentage is increased for SCs, “untouchables” like Left Dalits will not benefit unless internal reservation is implemented. Thus, demands are being raised that the Sadashiva Commission report should be implemented and the report be subject to public discussion. Though the Siddaramaiah government had a chance to implement it, it did not happen. And now, the BJP is trying to do it to get the support of mainly the Madigas and Bovis.

It is said that the Madigas had largely supported the BJP as the party had promised to implement internal reservation during the last assembly elections. However, it sat on that promise. Former CM Siddaramaiah, who missed the opportunity of giving priority to the Left Dalits, recently said he would make it happen if the Congress came to power again. The BJP has now gone ahead and constituted a cabinet sub-committee.

“Forming a Cabinet sub-committee for internal reservation among SCs is an eyewash,” said Opposition leader Siddaramaiah.

In reply, CM Bommai said, “The Opposition leader did not dare to consider the report when he was in power. All the communities know our commitment. We are aware of the legal status.”

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However, the BJP also needs the Lambani and Bhovi votes but these Right tribes want no internal reservation. The tug-of-war between “touchable” and “untouchable” castes in the Dalit community may help the BJP at the time of elections. However, the internal reservation will help not only the Left Dalits but also some deprived Right Dalits. This move may help the BJP divide the Congress base.

The Congress will hold an SC/ST rally in Chitradurga on January 8. AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Siddaramaiah, DK Shivakumar, and other leaders have recently decided on it. The Congress is reportedly planning to highlight the “injustices” done to SCs and STs by the BJP “double engine” government.

Legalities of the move

Legal experts say the percentage of reservations cannot exceed the 50 per cent mark. But the state government may take the shelter of the 9th Schedule, as Tamil Nadu and a few other states did.

Former Advocate General and a constitutional expert, Prof Ravivarma Kumar, told The Federal that the state has the power to set the “internal reservation” for any category, including SCs. A few states, including Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and Punjab, have done it. However, some states are facing legal challenges in the Supreme Court, he said.

“The state has the power to have a say about the internal reservation based on the percentage of the population within the categories,” he added.