Karnataka approves one-third quota for OBCs in local bodies

The Karnataka Cabinet on Thursday gave its nod to continue 33 per cent reservation for OBCs in local body polls as recommended by the Justice K Bhaktavatsala Commission.

This will pave the way for implementation of the 33 per cent reservation for OBCs that was stuck.

The Cabinet, however, rejected two other recommendations made by the commission - to reclassify OBCs and increase the tenure of Mayors and Deputy Mayors.

The commission was constituted to ascertain the political backwardness of the OBCs. It had submitted its report in July 2022 to the then Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, which was ratified by the Cabinet.

"However, based on concerns expressed by the High Court on the parameters for ward-wise reservation matrix in a government notification that was issued for the BBMP polls, the commission gave a supplementary report with justification for its recommendation. The supplementary report came before the Cabinet," an official in the Backward Classes Welfare department told DH.

In its report, the commission highlighted that 44.4 per cent of the state's population were OBCs, including minorities.

Briefing reporters, Law Minister HK Patil said the Cabinet gave its approval to continue providing one-third or 33 per cent reservation to OBCs in local body polls.

The commission had made five recommendations of which three were approved by the Cabinet, Patil said.

The Cabinet also approved two other recommendations, including reservation for the offices of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor at BBMP to OBCs and to bring all local body polls under the purview of DPAR.

However, the government rejected the Commission's recommendation to amend Section 10 of the Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act in order to revise the tenure of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor to 30 months, similar to their tenure in BBMP.

It also rejected the recommendation to reclassify OBCs under Categories A and B and create two more categories for Backward Classes (including minorities) for effective reservation before the next local body elections scheduled in 2027-28.