Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday called upon all backward classes to fight for reservation in Lok Sabha and Legislative Assembly. 

“Just like what has been reserved for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, Other Backward Classes (OBCs) also need reservation,” he said in his address to the decennial celebrations of the Karnataka State Backward Castes’ Federation. “Without making a struggle, nobody (sic) will provide any facilities to the OBCs.” 

The chief minister, who himself belongs to the backward Kuruba community, promised that more funds would be allocated in the next State budget for the welfare of backward classes. 

Siddaramaiah blamed the caste system for the social and economic imbalance in the State. He said such conventions might not necessarily bring unity among backward classes. “But what they can do is create awareness among backward classes.” 

The chief minister also attacked the Opposition parties. The JD(S), he went on, was only meant to serve H D Deve Gowda and his sons. That party had “twice scuttled” his chances to become the chief minister, Siddaramaiah claimed.