Bangalore: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has kicked up a row ahead of all important Lok Sabha elections. He is now advocating backward class reservation in the cooperative sector. Last week, addressing a conference of backward classes near Bangalore, he said that the backward classes must get reservation in the cooperative sector. He said that his government in Karnataka would also try to implement it.
On last Sunday he promised that his government would consider giving reservation to people belonging to other backward classes in cooperative institutions and housing under the Bangalore Development Authority, the Karnataka Housing Board, urban development authorities, municipal institutions and the Karnataka Slum Clearance Board in the State.
It has attracted criticism from the upper castes. They argue that Siddaramaiah's 'casteist' and populist politics are taking the state backward.
Siddaramaiah identifies himself as a backward class leader. His refusal to stop the mobilization of backward classes and Muslims under the banner of 'AHINDA' (Kannada acronym for Minorities, Backward Classes and Dalits) finally led to his sacking from the JDS of the Gowdas in 2005. He later joined the Congress and eventually became the chief minister.
Siddaramaiah is now facing opposition from two dominant upper castes Lingayats and Vokkaligas, who consider him an anti-upper caste leader. He is also facing the ire of Dalits after he pipped two Dalit leaders M Mallikarjuna Kharge and Dr G Parameshwar to the top post of chief minister.
According to his close circle he is worried that he might be asked to step down, if the Congress fails to win at least 16-20 Lok Sabha seats in the coming elections. He fears that the upper castes and Dalit sabotage the prospects of the Congress to teach him a lesson. Therefore he is mobilizing the support of the backward classes to safeguard his personal interests.
Siddarmaiah's love for the backward classes has not gone down well with his own party leaders. Some of them are openly expressing their dissatisfaction over his style of functioning. Some even call his government a backward class government.
Lingayats whose vote share is 18% and Vokkaligas whose vote share is 12% are mainly with the former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa of the BJP and the former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda of the JDS respectively. These two leaders are the sworn enemies of Siddaramaiah in Karnataka politics.
Will Siddaramaiah's backward class 'appeasement' work for him? One has to wait till the Lok Sabha elections.
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