Congress Bengaluru Declaration calls for Telangana-type caste census

Bengaluru: The All India Congress Committee (AICC) Backward Classes (OBC) Advisory Council that culminated in Bengaluru on Wednesday, adopted the Bengaluru Declaration with a resolution calling for a nationwide caste census modelled on Telangana’s comprehensive survey.

The two-day conclave, chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, brought together Congress leaders, political strategists and grassroots organisers and reinforced the Congress’s “commitment to social justice and constitutional equity”.

Held at Bharat Jodo Bhavan and a private hotel in Bengaluru, the first-ever meeting charted a roadmap for equity and inclusion, marking the beginning of what party insiders are calling a “renewed national movement” to empower Other Backward Classes.

The Bengaluru Declaration also called for the removal of the 50% cap on reservations, and the extension of reservations in private educational institutions in keeping with its AHINDA (minorities, backward classes and dalits) agenda .

Calling the meeting an “overwhelming success”, Siddaramaiah highlighted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s “advocacy for India’s marginalised communities”.

He described Rahul as a “Nyaya Yodha” (Warrior of Justice), saying, “His steely resolve compelled the Manuwadi Modi government to yield to the constitutional and just demand for a national caste census.”

Asked why the Bengaluru Declaration endorsed the Telangana model for a national caste census and not Karnataka’s own, Siddaramaiah told reporters after the meeting that Karnataka was the first post-Independence to initiate a caste census during his first tenure as CM in 2015.

At that time, the Backward Classes Commission was directed to conduct a socio-educational and economic survey of all communities, not just OBCs.

However, political hurdles disrupted the process. Siddaramaiah said that during H D Kumaraswamy’s term as CM, the report was obstructed. Even after it was completed, the BJP government failed to accept or implement it, he said.

“Though the Commission under Jayaprakash Hegde submitted an updated report recently, it was based on a survey conducted nearly a decade ago,” Siddaramaiah explained. “The Cabinet has now resolved to conduct a fresh caste survey, using updated data. The Commission has been given three months to submit the report, which we are committed to implementing.”

Given this context, he said, it would be “inappropriate” to project Karnataka’s decade-old dataset as a national model. “Telangana’s survey, already implemented, is currently a more practical example for nationwide adoption,” he stated clearly.

Siddaramaiah also clarified what Rahul’s call for a caste census was: “It is not just about counting castes. It is a comprehensive socio-economic, educational and political survey aimed at delivering justice to the deprived.”

The AICC council praised the CM for his “lifelong dedication to uplifting the poor and oppressed”, with the Council recognising his role in facilitating the inaugural meeting of the OBC Advisory Council.

“He is a beacon of hope for achieving social justice,” the declaration noted.

The council resolved to organise regular workshops across state capitals to train OBC leaders on caste census advocacy and community-specific issues. Additionally, rallies will be held across states — led by top Congress figures — to galvanise grassroots support and nurture OBC leadership at both the organisational and electoral levels.