As Karnataka caste survey runs into stiff headwind, what’s next for Siddaramaiah’s pet project?

On Thursday, the CM officially announced the re-enumeration exercise, referring to a provision under the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes Act to defend the fresh survey. As per Clause 1 of Section 11 of the Act, the survey findings carried out in 2015 are invalid by now. “The State Government may at any time, and shall, at the expiration of ten years from the coming into force of this Act and every succeeding period of ten years thereafter, undertake revision of the lists with a view to excluding from such lists those classes who have ceased to be backward classes or for including in such lists, new backward classes,” reads the clause.

Siddaramaiah said the provision was very clear, adding, “The Cabinet, considering these clauses, has decided that since the Commission conducted the survey 10 years ago we will ask the Commission to go for a fresh survey.” The CM said that the modalities of the exercise would be announced soon, but added it would be completed in 90 days.

However, uncertainty prevails over the timeline as teachers, key personnel required for the process, will not be available to serve as enumerators for the survey, at least till the mid-term vacations or the summer vacations next year, according to government insiders who added that the survey results would not be made official until at least late 2026.

Congress high command steps in

The Congress high command’s directions to the state leadership following a meeting with Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D K Shivakumar will contribute to an additional delay of the implementation of the report, which was almost shelved by the erstwhile Congress-JD(S) coalition and the BJP governments. Even Siddaramaiah dragged his feet on accepting the report during his first tenure as CM, wary that the pushback from the economically and politically powerful Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities could have an adverse electoral impact.

Siddaramaiah appeared to have mustered enough support during his second stint as CM and was on the verge of accepting the report, until the high command stepped in. “We will do whatever the high command says. It is not my decision. It is not the decision of the Cabinet. It is not the decision of our government. It is a decision of the high command. They have told us to go for re-enumeration,” he said Wednesday.

While putting the onus on the Congress central leadership for holding up implementation of the survey’s recommendations, the CM said the brass had informed him of “complaints” about the survey data being a decade old. Throughout last year, Siddaramaiah remained steadfast about the validity of the survey before it was placed before the Cabinet in April. He had not relented when the dominant communities protested against the survey throughout last year and his Cabinet colleagues Shivakumar and Industries Minister M B Patil raised the concerns. Until now.

When the CM announced last year that the report would be made public, Congress MLA and All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha president Shamanur Shivashankarappa had called the survey “unscientific”, alleging that the exercise was not carried out in many households. The head of the top Lingayat body in the state, along with his counterparts at Rajya Vokkaligara Sangha, vociferously opposed the implementation of the report.

On the other hand, Public Works Department minister Satish Jarkiholi who hails from a tribal community had sought a special legislature session to discuss and clear any apprehensions of the survey soon after it was placed before the Cabinet. Shivakumar, who was initially opposed to the Survey, also seemed to change tack, appearing to warm up to the idea of seeing the report through.

What the Opposition is saying

Sources said the leak of the recommendations of the Commission, especially regarding the Kuruba community from which Siddaramaiah hails, allowed Congress leaders to pile more pressure on the high command to have a relook at the Karnataka caste survey. The commission endorsed shifting Kurubas from the 2A category, or Other Backward Classes (OBCs), to Category 1 or Backward Castes. Along with it, it suggested reducing the quota under 2A from 15% to 12%, while hiking the Category 1 quota from 4% to 6%.

Few OBC communities, including Edigas, were irked by the move that added more communities to the bandwagon against the Survey, prompting the high command to step in.

The re-enumeration exercise also serves the purpose of deflecting some of the heat the Congress government was getting over the stampede at the M Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru in which 11 people were killed, the Opposition has alleged. With pressure mounting on the government to own up to the tragedy, the high command concentrated on the sensitive report to gain some breathing space, they alleged.

Keeping such issues in mind, Leader of Opposition R Ashok asked why Siddaramaiah submitted to the high command while turning a blind eye to the concerns raised by various communities in the past few months. “As soon as the high command pulled you up, you cleared the decision to re-enumerate. This makes one thing clear. You don’t trust the people of the state, mutt heads and leaders of various communities,” he said.

Ashok also pointed out that Rs 167 crore was spent on the survey carried out in 2015. “Who is responsible for this huge amount spent on the caste census?” he said. The BJP leader said he suspects that the re-enumeration announcement was used to divert the attention of the public from the stampede.