Divisions In Karnataka Congress Likely To Delay Second Round Of Caste Survey

The survey is scheduled to occur from September 22 to October 7. (File)

Bengaluru:

Amid rumors that Karnataka government's socio-economic survey might be postponed due to objections regarding the prepared caste list from various groups, including some within the ruling Congress, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar stated Thursday that a decision will be reached after consulting with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

The survey is planned to take place between September 22 and October 7, with an estimated budget of Rs 420 crore.

According to top sources who spoke with NDTV, during a cabinet meeting held earlier today, several ministers expressed strong concerns about the survey's planning approach, particularly regarding numerous castes with dual identities in the list - featuring both Christian and Hindu caste designations. The major point of contention emerged from the inclusion of Christian subcategories such as Kuruba Christian, Lingayat Christian, Vokkaliga Christian, Ediga Christian, among others, in the survey forms.

Some ministers warned that this "problematic nomenclature" could be interpreted as facilitating religious conversion and potentially allowing these groups to claim shares of quotas allocated to other OBCs.

Following these objections, Mr Siddaramaiah reportedly instructed certain ministers to convene separately and return with feedback for further discussion. He also clarified to his colleagues that the initiative should not be characterized as a caste census, emphasizing that the government's primary focus remains on collecting socio-economic data.

Mr Shivakumar, who attended the meeting alongside cabinet colleagues, spoke with the Chief Minister beforehand. He stressed that the government's intention was "not to divide caste or communities but to ensure justice for one and all."

"We don't want to divide anyone. Neither the Congress party nor the Congress government wants division," Mr Shivakumar reiterated.

"Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Many groups have requested us to include their caste separately, so it has been added. This has happened in the past, too. Some of our ministers have raised objections, and we are seeking public opinion. We will discuss these issues with the Chief Minister and then announce the way forward," Mr Shivakumar explained. Highlighting the apparent lack of consensus within the cabinet, BJP state General Secretary and MLA Sunil Kumar advised the government to delay the survey.

"Call an all-party meeting and a meeting of all caste representatives to gather opinion, and hold the survey during the summer," news agency PTI quoted Mr Kumar as saying.

This second survey comes after the Siddaramaiah government discarded the Karnataka Social and Economic Survey, commonly referred to as the caste census, conducted in 2015. Facing pressure from influential, land-owning groups like Vokkaligas and Lingayats, the government retreated from accepting the report and implementing its recommendations. However, officially, they cited the decade-old data as outdated, justifying the need for fresh information.