Siddaramaiah's sub-quota dilemma: CM in tight spot as SC-Right vs SC-Left brewing within state cabinet
The Siddaramaiah government in Karnataka is once again in a fix over the sub-quota within the SC reservation, as the latest report submitted by the Justice H.N. Nagmohandas Committee has divided the state cabinet.
The three-decades-old demand for SC internal quota by the marginalised SC communities had got a major boost after the Supreme Court's landmark judgement (dated August 1, 2024) allowing the state governments to create sub-classification within the SC reservation based on empirical data.
In Karnataka, the Scheduled Caste list with 101 castes has a total reservation of 17 per cent. The 101 castes have now been regrouped under five categories based on their backwardness as Most Backward, More Backward (SC-Left) , Backward (SC-right), Less Backward (Banjara, Bhovi, Korama Koracha) and a separate Category E (Adi Karnataka, Adi Dravida and Adi Andhra). However, the sub quota has only exposed the fissures within the SC leaders.
The 1776-page report submitted to the chief minister on August 4 has surveyed 27.24 lakh SC families (1.07 crore individuals) and classified them into five categories based on educational backwardness, under-representation in government jobs, and social backwardness.
While the SC (Left) leaders are in favour of the sub-quota as the SC (Right) and other dominant SC caste groups (Banjara, Bhovi, Koracha and Korama) have been cornering the reservation benefits (educational and employment), the SC (Right) is opposing the sub-quota citing “unfair” reduction in their share (17% to 5%). The report, which was tabled before the cabinet on Thursday, will now be taken up for discussion at a special cabinet to be held on August 16, following dissenting voices within the cabinet.
While the sub-quota does not apply to political reservation, it certainly reflects the dominance of certain groups (SC-right) over the others in politics, from ticket distribution to cabinet berths, to plum portfolios and boards and corporation appointments.
Traditionally, the SC (Right) groups have supported the Congress party, while the social engineering by the saffron party has paid dividends, and the party has managed to win over the SC (Left) communities. That perhaps explains the power distribution in the state cabinet, too.
In the Congress government, the plum portfolios are held by leaders belonging to SC (Right) – G Parameshwara (Home), Priyank Kharge (Rural Development and Panchayat Raj and IT-BT), and Dr H.C. Mahadevappa (Social Welfare). The SC (Left) is represented by former union minister K.H. Muniyappa (Food and Civil Supplies) and R.B. Thimmapur (Excise). H. Anjaneya, another leader from the SC (Left) community, was the social welfare minister in 2013 in the previous Siddaramaiah-led government.
The BJP, which has enjoyed the support of the marginalised SC (Left), elevated Govind Karjol as the deputy chief minister, who has held important portfolios like PWD, Water Resources, and Social Welfare, besides Kannada and Culture, Planning and Statistics and Food and Civil Supplies. He is currently the MP from Chitradurga. Veteran leader and Vijayapura MP Ramesh Jigajinagi, who was with the undivided Janata Dal and mentored by Ramakrishna Hegde, joined the BJP and was the minister of state for drinking water and sanitation in the second Modi cabinet. Abbaiah Narayanaswamy, the former Chitradurga MP, was the Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment in the second Modi ministry.
While Telangana and Andhra have introduced SC internal reservation, Karnataka has suffered many hurdles, mostly due to the political tussle between the SC Left and Right groups. In October 2024, the Karnataka cabinet decided to set up the one-man commission (Justice H.N. Nagmohan Das committee), which submitted an interim report on March 27. It recommended a fresh survey, citing that the 2011 census lacked detailed sub-caste information. However, the final report has also triggered a conflict and put Siddaramaiah in a tight spot.
It may be recalled that the Justice A.J. Sadashiva Commission, in 2012, had suggested a sub-quota by redistributing the 15 per cent SC reservation. The previous BJP government (in 2023) not only enhanced the SC and ST reservation by two per cent each, but also came up with a reservation matrix within the SC community.
A subcommittee headed by then law minister J.C. Madhuswamy divided the SC community into four groups. Among the 'untouchables' in the SC (Left) - Madiga, Adi Dravida and Bambi, would get 6 % reservation and SC (Right), which includes Adi Karnataka Holeya and Chalavadi, 5.5 per cent. Among the 'touchables', the Banjara, Bhovi, Koracha and Korama would get 4.5 per cent and Are Alemari and Alemari (nomads) one per cent.
This time, the Congress ministers and MLAs who either belong to the SC (Right) or are dependent on the SC (Right) votes are opposing the survey, fearing a backlash from the community. Similarly, the SC (Left) leaders like KH Muniyappa are keen to push for the sub-quota to ensure justice for the marginalised communities who, for long, have been deprived of the benefits.
India