Karnataka: Polls near, everyone wants the reserved class tag!

Bengaluru: With less than a year to go for the assembly poll,  prominent castes of the state are upping their pressure on the political parties, that have an eye on their votes in 2018, to give them reservation under categories of their choice.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is under pressure from his own Kuruba community to give it reservation under the ST category. At present the  Kurubas, who number around 45 lakh in the state, enjoy reservation in jobs and education under the 2A category.

Arguing that several backward class commission reports have called the community the most backward in Karnataka, secretary of the Karnataka Kurubara Sangha, Mukudappa, recalls that before reorganisation of states, the Kurubas were under the ST category. "In 1994 grave injustice was done to our community by then Chief Minister, Veerappa Moily, who brought many forward communities under the 2A category," he regrets, adding, "Although Mr Siddaramaiah   attended several agitations in 1994 against the then Congress government and for giving  ST status to the Kurubas , he seems to have forgotten all about it now. I am told he has promised to give Kurubas the ST tag, but I don't think he will follow through. He has no commitment to the community's welfare."

The prominent Balija community, which organised a mega rally in the Palace Grounds recently, seeking job and educational reservations under 2A category as against the present 3A category, has a champion in Bengaluru Central MP and Balija community leader, P.C.Mohan.

He argues that it is not seeking fresh reservation, but only rectification of an error done by the Moily government. "Prior to 1994, our community was under the 2A category," says the BJP leader.

Pandering to the community, state BJP chief, B S Yeddyurappa has assured that he will meet its demand within 24 hours of assuming office if his party is elected in 2018.