Reservation for Vokkaligas, Lingayats hits roadblock after HC asks Karnataka govt to maintain status quo

The interim order was in connection with a Public Interest Litigation filed by D G Raghavendra, a resident of Bengaluru, who had sought directions from the court against granting reservation under 2A category to Panchamasalis — a sub-sect of Lingayats. It had also challenged the interim report submitted by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes based on which the reservation was announced for Vokkaligas and Lingayats. The petitioner had contended that there was no provision to submit an interim report under the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes Act.

At the hearing, senior advocate Prof Ravivarma Kumar, representing the petitioner, submitted that despite orders by the court, the Karnataka government had not placed the interim report of the Commission. He argued that there were concerns that the state government was granting reservation due to external pressure. Appearing for the government, Advocate General Prabhuling Navadgi submitted that the report will be placed before the High Court.

Following this, the division bench headed by Chief Justice Prasanna B Varale passed an interim order with directions to maintain status quo. The matter is next posted on January 30.

Over the last six months, the Karnataka government has decided to hike reservation for SC/ST communities, apart from carving out two new categories ‘2C’ and ‘2D’ to accommodate Vokkaligas and Lingayats under the ‘moderately backward’ category in the reservation matrix. The hike in reservation for SCs from 15 per cent to 17 per cent and STs from three to seven per cent had breached the 50 per cent reservation limit in Karnataka.

Subsequently, in December 2022, under pressure from the Panchamsali community — which had held numerous protests in a bid to arm twist the government towards granting reservation for the group — and Vokkaligas, the government announced that 3A and 3B category (under which reservation was granted to Vokkaligas and Lingayats) will be abolished. The communities will be offered reservation under 2C and 2D categories, it had said, and assured to increase their quota by rationalising the 10 per cent reservation granted for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS).