Quota in quota: Madigas resolve to vote against Congress this time

Hubballi: Besides the Lingayat issue, which could backfire on him these elections in Badami constituency, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is facing more trouble from the Madiga community,  which has  resolved to vote against the Congress for its failure to accept the report of the Justice Sadashiva Commission recommending internal reservation among the scheduled castes.

Several local Congressmen, who also took part in the meeting called by the community on Friday, targeted Minister R B Timmapur for not accepting the commission report despite being a Madiga himself. 

While there are around 35,000 scheduled caste people in Badami Assembly constituency, the Madigas account for 22,000 voters, which could be key to either party’s success as the BJP has fielded Valmiki strongman, B Sriramulu with an  eye on the SC and ST votes. 

“Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had promised to accept the commission report when he was opposition leader. But, he has betrayed us by failing to take any decision on it after coming to power. The Congress has not given a ticket to any Madiga leader either in the panchayat or Assembly elections. And so we have decided to campaign in the community  to defeat Siddaramaiah in Badami assembly constituency. Our caste is more important to us than the party,” said Bagalkot district Congress general secretary and president of Madiga Mahasabha, Muttanna Bennur.    

The commission has recommended reclassification of all scheduled castes into four groups of Right Community, Left Community, Touchables and Other Scheduled Castes. The Madigas are dominant in Badami among  29 sub-castes of the Left Community.

The commission has recommended six per cent reservation for them out of the overall 15 per cent reservation for scheduled castes.