Karnataka: Why Demand By Politically Influential Vokkaliga Community To Hike Reservation Will Force BJP Govt To Navigate Complex Caste Cauldron

The politically influential Vokkaliga community has set 23 January as the deadline for the Karnataka government to increase its quota from 4 per cent to 12 per cent in the overall OBC reservation matrix.

Earlier this Sunday (27 November), prominent seers, ministers, legislators and community leaders met at Kuvempu Kalakshetra in Vokkaligara Sangha premises on K.R. Road in V.V. Puram, Bengaluru.

During the meeting, a unanimous resolution was passed urging the Government to hike the reservation to safeguard the community's interests.

The meeting was attended by leading seers of the community, including Adichunchanagiri Mutt Seer Sri Nirmalanandanatha Swamiji, Pattanayakanahalli Mutt Seer Sri Nanjavadhoota Swamiji and Vishwa Vokkaligara Mahasamsthana Mutt Seer Sri Kumara Chandrashekaranatha Swamiji.

Revenue Minister R. Ashoka, Health Minister Dr K. Sudhakar and Excise Minister K. Gopalaiah were also present.

Legislators from the community cutting across the political spectrum, including former Chief Minister D.V Sadananda Gowda, M. Krishnappa (BJP), M. Krishnappa (Congress), C.N. Balakrishna (JD-S), Dr Ranganath, A. Devegowda, Dinesh Gooligowda and Narayanaswamy, attended the meeting.

KPCC President D.K. Shivakumar, community leaders Ravi, Vasanthi Shivanna, T. Konappa Reddy, Vokkaligara Sangha President C.N. Balakrishna, office-bearers and others were also present during the meeting.

During the meeting, a memorandum summarising the community's demands was presented by Sri Nirmalanandanatha Swamiji to minister Ashoka.

Ashoka said that he would discuss the community demands with Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and promised to make honest efforts to stand with the community to fulfil their justified demands.

The former Chief Minister, D.V. Sadananda Gowda, said that efforts would be made to convince the Centre to enhance the reservation for the community.

Swami Nirmalanandanatha said that the community was willing to wage a struggle to secure a hike in the reservation. "Vokkaligas should be ready to join the struggle when Swamiji calls for it," he said.

Demands By Vokkaliga Community

Currently, the Vokkaligas community is categorised under the 3A category bloc of OBC reservation. A 4 per cent quota is earmarked for the 3A category. The community leaders argue that about 2.5 per cent of this quota has to be shared with other communities under the 3A category.

While the Vokkaliga population is more than 16 per cent in the State, the reservation of the community stands at a paltry 4 per cent, which is unfair, the community leaders claim.

Overall, OBC quota in the State currently stands at 32 per cent with close to 207 castes spread across five sub-categories.

The meeting also urged the state government to consider the feasibility of extending the recently enacted 10 per cent reservation quota for economically weaker sections (EWS) to the Vokkaligas living in urban areas of the city.

A few leaders from the community have also demanded that all the sub-castes within the community be included in the OBC list and an increase in the share of the caste group in the reservation pool commensurate with the higher numbers of the community in the OBC population.

“Not all 115 sub-sects of the Vokkaliga community have been included under OBC. As a result, many sub-sects are deprived of government benefits. All sub-sects must be included under OBC and we must campaign for this,” an influential seer from the community said.

The Recent Hike In Quota For SC/ST Community

The BJP-led state government in Karnataka recently hiked the reservation for SC/ST communities in Karnataka, which took the total reservation in the State to 56 per cent. Reservation for scheduled castes (SC) was increased from 15 to 17 per cent and for scheduled tribes (ST) from three to seven per cent.

After the recent increase, OBCs have a quota of 32 per cent (for 207 castes spread across five categories), SCs have a quota of 17 per cent for 101 castes and STs have a quota of 7 per cent (for 50 tribes in the State). The State is yet to notify rules regarding the EWS quota.

Demands From Various Communities

With the state assembly elections around the corner, various communities in the State are demanding to either hike reservation or alter their reservation status in Karnataka.

Panchamasalis, a powerful Lingayat sub-sect that forms the bulwark of BJP's support base in the State, has been seeking 2A status in the OBC reservation category.

Panchamasalis are in the 3B category (which has five per cent reservation for 41 castes and mainly includes Lingayat sub-sects), and the community leaders argue that moving them to the 2A category (which has 15 per cent reservation for 102 castes) will enable them to gain from the much larger reserved pool.

A section of the Kuruba community (from which former Chief Minister Siddharamiah hails) is running a campaign demanding that they be recategorised as Scheduled Tribes (ST).

Kurubas constitute the third-largest caste group in the State after the Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities. Prominent ministers and legislators from the community, including MTB Nagaraj, A.H. Vishwanath and Byrathi Basavaraj, have endorsed the community's demand for the ST tag. 

Valmiki-Nayakas, an influential Scheduled Tribe community, has also renewed its demand for increasing the quantum of the ST quota from 3 per cent to 7.5 per cent.

Even numerically smaller communities like Savitha Samaj and Uppara castes are demanding reservation.

Response Of State BJP Government

In March 2021, the Karnataka government formed a panel under former high court judge Justice Subhash B Adi to examine a framework for accommodating reservation demands within the prevailing reservation matrix in the State.

While CM Bommai said that he is yet to receive a memorandum from Vokkaliga groups demanding an increase in reservation for the community, the State Backward Classes Commission will look into this demand.

Bommai added that any increase in reservation should be done within the confines of the Constitution. 

BJP is hoping to make gains in the old Mysore region of the state. The party has been electorally weak in this area especially when contesting state assembly election.

An improved performance will depend on convincing a section of Vokkaliga community to jump in to the party bandwagon. The party also needs to perform the delicate balancing act of reaching out to the Vokkaliga community without upsetting the social coalition that has driven it to the centre stage of state politics.