Karnataka polls: Quota tweak set to be key poll issue

NEW DELHI: Scrapping 4% quota for the Muslim community in the OBC category and hiking it for the two most politically powerful communities - Lingayat and Vokkaliga - is set to be one of the key issues in Karnataka assembly polls scheduled on May 10 even as BJP's focus will be highlighting the delivery of the "double engine" governments and party's claim about the turnaround the state has witnessed after it took over the responsibility of governance.
Home minister Amit Shah's strong endorsement of the quota scrapping decision was an indication of the understanding between the party top brass and the state leadership under CM Basavraj Bommai, who had not only pledged a "New Karnataka" in the state budget recently but also made the announcement of the construction of a grand temple of Lord Rama in Ramadevara Betta (hill) in Ramanagara and a move seeking SC/ST quota protection under 9th schedule.
Last Friday, Karnataka hiked the reservation given to the Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities but scrapped a separate quota for Muslims. "The reservation for minorities is not constitutionally valid. There is no provision in the Constitution to give reservation based on religion," Shah had said while addressing two rallies in Gorata village in Bidar district and Gabbur in Raichur district during his latest visit to the state. Lingayats, who make up 17% of the state, and Vokkaligas, who comprise 15%, are two of Karnataka's most powerful communities and their backing is critical across the state.
Before quota restructuring in the state, Bommai had announced another politically significant initiative of initiating the process to bring its decision to hike SC/ST reservation under the 9th Schedule of the Constitution.
Bommai government had implemented the recommendations of the Justice Nagmohan Das Commission in their entirety to enhance the reservation for the SCs and STs. While the reservation for the SC community had been hiked from 15 to 17% and for the ST community from 3% to 7%.
Making the announcement of a Ram temple at Ramadevara Betta (hill) in Ramanagara in the state budget, the CM had made it clear that the party will not shy away from taking up "polarising" issues.