10% EWS quota to be distributed among Vokkaligas, Lingayats

The Karnataka Cabinet decided Thursday to create two new OBC categories for Vokkaligas and Lingayats whose reservation demands will be met by scooping out a portion of the 10% EWS quota, a mathematical calculation that is sure to have ramifications.

The Vokkaligas who come under Category 3A, will now be placed under the new Category 2C. The Veerashaiva-Lingayats, under Category 3B now, will be put in Category 2D. The existing Categories 3A and 3B will be done away with.

Their reservation will continue as earlier - 4% for Vokkaligas under Category 2C and 5% for Lingayats under Category 2D.

At present, OBCs in Karnataka have 32% reservation across five categories - Category 1 (4%), Category 2A (15%), Category 2B (4%), Category 3A (4%) and Category 3B (5%).

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai was under immense pressure by the numerically-strong Panchamasali Lingayats, who wanted to be moved from 3B to 2A for higher reservation. Similarly, the Vokkaligas wanted their quota to go up from 4% to 12%.

The creation of the new categories was recommeded by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes in its interim report, which Law Minister JC Madhuswamy said the Cabinet accepted in principle.

"We are not touching any of the other categories," Madhuswamy specified, briefing reporters flaked by Revenue Minister R Ashoka, a Vokkaliga and Industries Minister Murugesh Nirani, a Panchamasali Lingayat. "Both communities wanted to be put under Category 2, which we've done," Madhuswamy added.

To meet their demands for a hike in quota, the government will dig into the 10% EWS quota that will be applicable to Brahmins, Jains, Arya Vysyas, Nagarthas and Mudaliars.

"The 103rd amendment of the Constitution has allowed us to exceed 50% reservation by 10 percentage points," Madhuswamy pointed out. "We hope, under our calculation, we will save some quota of the 10% EWS reservation, which we will share between 2C and 2D," he said.

"The Backward Classes Commission will fix the allocation of the 10% quota to the EWS communities in proportion to their population. The Commission will give this report in 2-3 months," Madhuswamy said.

After fixing the quota for EWS communities, the government expects to be left with four or six percentage points that will be given to the Vokkaligas and Lingayats. This will add to the existing 4% reservation for Vokkaligas and 5% to Lingayats.

Madhuswamy also pointed out that Categories 3A and 3B are "special groups" governed by an annual income ceiling of Rs 8.5 lakh. "Right now, under Category 3A, only rural Vokkaligas can avail benefits if their annual income is below Rs 8.5 lakh. The same is for Lingayats under Cagetory 3B," he said.

This reservation move comes ahead of Assembly polls with the ruling BJP looking to consolidate its support among Lingayats and making inroads into the Vokkaligas.

The government has already hiked reservation for SCs from 15% to 17% and for STs from 3% to 7%.