A leaked report on Karnataka's caste census has recommended increasing reservations for OBCs from 32% to 51% and for Muslims from 4% to 8%. This has caused division within the ruling Congress, with leaders from various communities criticising it as "unscientific" and urging the government to reject it. Muslims are categorised under OBCs. This controversy comes just before a special cabinet meeting called by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on April 17 to discuss the caste census report, officially known as the Socioeconomic and Educational Survey, which was submitted to the cabinet on Friday. All cabinet ministers received a copy of the report on Sunday to review before the meeting.

Although the leaked report doesn’t provide the specific population percentages for the two major caste groups in Karnataka, Vokkaligas and Lingayats, it does suggest quotas for different categories that both groups are part of.

According to the report, under category III(A), which includes Vokkaligas and two other major communities, the population is estimated to be 73 lakh, with a recommendation for a 7% reservation. In category III(B), which includes Veerashaiva-Lingayats and five other communities, the population is 81.3 lakh, and the report suggests an 8% quota. The total population of the state is estimated at 5.9 crore.

The report also recommends increasing the overall reservation to 73.5%, which includes 15% for SCs and 7.5% for STs, up from the current 50% cap on reservations in the state.

Although the exact numbers for the Lingayat and Vokkaliga populations in present-day Karnataka are unclear, the Chenappa Reddy Commission's 1990 survey estimated their populations at 19% and 17%, respectively. Based on this, the Deve Gowda government had proposed a 4% reservation for Muslims.

Although the exact number of Lingayats is unknown, Industries Minister and Lingayat leader MB Patil suggested that there is a discrepancy between the survey results and the actual situation. He explained: “It is nobody’s fault that the Lingayat numbers have fallen (from expected results) in the survey. Members of some Lingayat community sub-castes have (in a fine slicing of sub-caste identity) declared themselves as Hindu Ganiga, Hindu Banajiga, and Hindu Sadaras for the sake of (existing) 2A reservation benefits. If we take all of them into account and also Lingayats recorded under 3B, then their population crosses 1 crore. The cabinet meeting will discuss all these finer points.”

As for Muslims, they made up 12.6% of the population in 2015 when the survey was conducted. Karnataka’s largest community is the Scheduled Castes, which comprise around 1.1 crore and have 108 different sub-castes.

Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar responded cryptically to senior Congressman and All-India Veerashaiva Mahasabha president Shamanur Shivashankarappa’s assertion that the report was “unscientific” and that “no one from the survey team ever came” to his place to gather data. Shivakumar said, “Everyone is trying to safeguard their communities. I will not stop them (as it’s their democratic right to do so). On April 17, the cabinet will discuss the issue. The CM has said legislators will be allowed to debate the matter in the assembly. We will not rush into it.” On the Vokkaliga community being named the sixth largest in the state, Shivakumar emphasised his role as the KPCC president, stating that it’s his responsibility to ensure “justice is delivered to all communities.”

The BJP, on the other hand, criticised the Congress government for appeasing minorities. Opposition leader R Ashoka remarked, “This report reeks of the CM dictating the numbers to census author H Kantharaju. If not, there is no way Muslims are declared the ‘majority community’ in the state.”