Why Bommai's caste category rejig will keep Panchamasalis, Vokkaligas happy, for now

The BJP government under the leadership of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has cleverly bought time from the demands of more reservation by powerful communities including Panchamasalis (sub-sect of Lingayat) and the Vokkaligas ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections, through its recent decision to restructure caste categories.

The Vokkaligas, who constitute 15 per cent of the state population and come under the OBC category, have demanded that the Centre include their subcaste Kunchitiga in the central OBC list, and raise their state reservation quota from 4 per cent to 12 per cent. The Panchamasalis, on the other hand, demand to be shifted to the 2A category.

Also read: 2023 Karnataka polls: Amit Shah sets poll pitch to woo Vokkaligas in Old Mysuru

The Bommai government has now restructured the categories of backward classes and abolished Category 3 to create two separate categories, 2C and 2D, to pacify the Vokkaligas and Panchamasalis for the time being. The strategy is to give a positive indication to both the communities at the surface level, targeting electoral benefits.

However, the distribution of the percentage of reservations is yet to be done as the State Backward Classes Commission has to submit the final report on the population and condition of the backward classes within three months. Although the restructuring of the categories was done in a cabinet meeting, based on the interim report of Jayaprakash Hegde, the chairman of the State Backward Classes Commission, the implementation is under question.

Shrewd move, may never materialise, say experts

Political analysts say this is a shrewd move by the Basavraj Bommai government to buy time and that it is unlikely that the government will distribute the percentage of reservations for the newly-created 2C and 2D categories anytime soon.

They say if the backward class commission doesn’t submit its report within three months, it wouldn’t be able to proceed further as the Election Code of Conduct will kick in by then in poll-bound Karnataka. This apart, the interim report by the backward commission has been questioned in the high court and the government has replied that it will take a decision only after getting a final report. The restructuring of categories may also face legal heat in the coming days as a few organisations plan to question the government’s move in court.

Also read: Karnataka’s BJP govt in a tight spot amid clamour for more quotas

The state government is also yet to get the final nod from the apex court on the EWS quota and on getting the Ninth Schedule shelter to raise the reservation from 50 per cent-cap. Recently following the recommendations of the Justice HN Nagamohan Das Commission, reservation for Scheduled Castes (SCs) was increased from 15 to 17 per cent, and that for Scheduled Tribes (STs) was raised from 3 to 7 per cent to woo Dalit voters. It crossed the reservation percentage cap of 50 per cent and it reached 66 per cent after an ordinance was passed. However, it will get the legal shelter only after achieving the Ninth Schedule from the Centre.

The analysts say the government’s move to abolish Category 3, which has communities including Vokkaliga, Lingayats and Kodavas, and including them in the more backward Category 2, is ironic and only shows that forward communities have shown no improvement and are moving down the caste ladder even after 75 years of Independence.

“Either the government is telling the truth that there is no economic or educational growth for the forward communities or lying just to do electoral politics,” say analysts.

Reservation calculation

The Panchamasalis have been demanding reservation under the 2A category for five years. The protests by the Panchamasalis inspired the powerful Vokkaligas to put forth their demands.

The BJP government, which is facing anti-incumbency in Karnataka and is mired in a series of scams finds it a perfect opportunity to woo different communities. And even though smaller communities do not have leadership or the voice to demand more quota, it is the bigger castes like the Lingayats and the Vokkaligas who have ended up getting the most benefits.

On Thursday (December 29), the state cabinet abolished the 3A and 3B categories of reservation and introduced 2C and 2D   under Category 2 to benefit those in the backward class. As per the changes, those in the 3A (Vokkaligas) and 3B (Lingayats) categories will be moving to 2C and 2D categories respectively.

Also read: Karnataka’s BJP govt in a tight spot amid clamour for more quotas

The government, however, did not touch the 2A category where 102 backward class castes are enjoying 15 percent of reservation, and in which the Panchamasalis wanted to be included.
State Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister JC Madhuswamy said that there are 102 communities in the 2A community and it should not be affected by any change. “So we are going to create categories 2C, and 2D. But it has been decided to give reservations only for employment and education, he added.
While the government awaits the report of the backward class panel to demarcate the reservation percentage of these 2C and 2D categories, Madhuswamy said it plans to shift reservation for EWS (10 per cent) and distribute it among 2C and 2D.

Under 3A, there were 12 castes including Vokkaliga, Reddy, Balija, Banta, and Kodava while under 3B there were Veerashaiva and Lingayat communities and sub-castes. Now the reservation has been redistributed by creating a separate category.

Who will get what?

As per the government’s proposed plan, while the 3B Category enjoyed a 5 per cent reservation, its alternative 2D Category, will get an additional 4 per cent reservation, borrowed from the EWS category, making it 9 per cent. Similarly those in the 3A category (and now will be moved to 2C) who enjoyed 4 per cent reservation, may now get an additional 3 per cent from the EWS.

Government sources said, the rest 3 per cent in the EWS quota may be kept aside for Brahmins, Arya Vaishyas and other such communities.

If the EWS quota is used for 2C and 2D, then the total reservation percentage will reach 66 per cent, an official with the Law Ministry told The Federal.

Also read: Karnataka parties up quota game as castes clamour for more quota benefits

However, the legality of shifting the EWS percentage to the 2C and 2D categories is questionable.

“We will discuss with the leaders and announce the next decision,” Madhuswamy said adding that no one should announce any decision until then.