Karnataka ST Quota: Congress and BJP Tread Carefully Amid Race for Numbers
Karnataka ST Quota: Congress and BJP Tread Carefully Amid Race for Numbers
Karnataka's ST quota debate tests party unity as leaders wrestle internal rifts, with the government trimming quotas and both sides seeking a broader consensus.
Karnataka's ST quota has become a flashpoint as the state government moves to revert to the old reservation formula, slashing the ST quota from 7% to 3%. The cabinet has also cleared a sub-classification within the 15% reserved for Scheduled Castes, with talk of internal reservations in recruitments and duty allocations. The move comes against a backdrop of broader concerns about proportional representation in state services and employment.
Leaders from the Congress and BJP have largely kept quiet on the ST quota, with insiders pointing to a leadership tussle between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar in the Congress and competing interests within the BJP. A senior government functionary cited the tension in both ruling and opposition camps as a factor behind a muted response, and noted that leadership dynamics are constraining attempts to convene community leader meetings.
In March 2026, senior ST leader B. Sriramulu had postponed a padayatra from Chitradurga to Bengaluru, adopting a wait-and-watch approach, and now says they are holding consultations with affected communities to build a statewide campaign.
Meanwhile, a delegation led by Congress leader V.S. Ugrappa urged the Chief Minister to vacate the stay in the Karnataka High Court, convene an all-party meeting, and press Delhi to insert the 2022 legislation into the 9th Schedule of the Constitution.
There is growing concern over how reservations translate into proportional representation. The 1931 census put ST population at about 0.8%, though more tribes have been added to the list since, complicating calls for proportionality. Proposals to include enhanced quotas in the 9th Schedule have featured in discussions among community leaders.
Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi, who belongs to the Nayaka ST community, has spoken in favor of including the enhanced quota in the 9th Schedule. Officials also note that internal reservations within the SC quota could affect recruitment for 56,432 posts, intensifying the debate over how quotas are implemented in practice.
