Congress Has Asked For New Caste Survey In Karnataka: DK Shivakumar

The Congress central leadership has ordered that a new caste survey be held in in Karnataka, said the party's senior leader and the state's Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar today. 

Mr Shivakumar, who is in Delhi with his boss, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, said, "The high command has advised the CM and me to ensure that everyone is heard as far as the caste survey is concerned".

The survey should be done in a way that no one feels left out, the central leadership has said, after several MLAs, ministers and MPs flagged these issues. 

"We will give fresh opportunity to everyone who felt they were left out in the earlier caste survey," he added. The state cabinet "will discuss this, plan and then ensure justice to all," he said.

The last caste survey in the state, conducted in 2015 during the earlier term of Mr Siddaramaiah, has drawn controversy with many sections disputing the findings. 

The data, formally submitted in April this year, had deepened the fault lines between the key Vokkaliga and Veerashaiva-Lingayat communities and other backward class communities. 

It had also recommended re-classification of castes on basis of socio-economic and educational parameters.

Instead of the current five categories, it had recommended six and proposed the removal of exemption from creamy layer policy for castes in Category 1, which are the "most backward".

The conclusions of the survey had drawn opposition from within the Congress, with Vokkaliga and Lingayat leaders contending that that their communities were under-represented.

After formally accepting the socio-economic survey, the Karnataka cabinet has been discussing its contents. At least three rounds of discussions in the cabinet have been held, ministers have given written replies to the Chief Minister, expressing their concerns about the report. The Congress high command has been apprised of this too, sources said.