Vokkaligas and Lingayats are politically dominant castes in Karnataka
Bengaluru: Ahead of a special cabinet meeting on Thursday to discuss on the socio-economic and educational report-2015 submitted by Backward Classes Commission to the State Government, the MLAs belonging to Vokkaliga community of Congress party will hold a meeting on Tuesday at 6 pm in Bengaluru city under the chairmanship of Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar to discuss the impact on the community from the socio-economic and educational survey report-2015. The meeting is scheduled to be held at the official residence of the Deputy Chief Minister.
After a portion of the report got leaked, Vokkaliga leaders mounted pressure on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah not to accept the report. Even Lingayat community leaders have expressed their opposition to the socio-economic report. Vokkaligas and Lingayats are politically dominant castes in Karnataka.
Shivakumar told reporters in Bengaluru on Monday the meeting will gather opinions of party MLAs and stated the meeting will come out with suggestions on socio-economic and educational report-2015 without hurting the sentiments of the people. “I haven’t gone through the socio-economic report in detail. The report is being studied,” he said.
It may be recalled here Leader of Opposition in Assembly R. Ashoka, a Vokkaliga leader, alleged the socio-economic report submitted by Backward Classes Commission Chairman Jayaprakash Hegde ‘divided’ the Vokkaliga community and stated while Hallikar Vokkaligas, Sarpa Vokkaligas, Kunchitiga Vokkaligas, Morasu Vokkaligas among others are tagged as Vokkaligas but the socio-economic report ‘divided’ some of the sub-castes of Vokkaligas.
Meanwhile, Congress MLA Basavaraj Shivaganga, belonging to Lingayat community, stated “The socio-economic report cannot be accepted at any cost.” The report is filled with confusion,' he added. and
The Congress MLA stated the report mentions Sadar Lingayats are 69,000 in the State while 60,000 of them reside in his assembly seat-Channagiri in Davangere district.
