The Karnataka government has reportedly taken a decision to end the 4% reservation quota for minorities. Following the decision taken by CM Basavaraj Bommai-led cabinet the quota will be allocated to Vokkaligas and Lingayats.
Giving the information about the decision CM Basavaraj Bommai said the 4% reservation quota will be divided between other communities. He added, the castes of Vokkaligas (2%) and Lingayats (2%), under two new reservation categories created last year, will now get the benefit of the reservation quota. He said, ” The cabinet has also decided to raise the overall reservation allotment from 50% to 56% in the state.”
The decision comes as election campaigning in poll-bound Karnataka is in full swing. Cabinet decided to move the Muslims to the 10% Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category, where they would now compete with Brahmins, Vysyas, Mudaliyars, Jains, and other communities.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has already started wooing Lingayats and Vokkaligas, Karnataka’s two most dominant castes, by hiking reservations for them following their demands. The rough estimates say the population of these two caste groups doesn’t exceed 30%, but they occupy approximately half of the 224 Assembly seats.