The Karnataka government, led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, is reportedly bringing a proposal to allocate a 4% reservation for Muslims in public construction (civil) contracts. According to News18, which cited government sources, this proposed reservation aims to benefit Muslims in category 2B. The government is expected to present the bill for this initiative during the winter session of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly. Sources clarified that the proposed policy would not be limited to Muslims but would extend to other backward classes as well.

Should the bill pass, Karnataka would reach a 47% overall reservation in government contracts, with a proposed ceiling increase to ₹2 crore.

The proposal has sparked criticism from BJP leaders. BJP’s Amit Malviya took to X to denounce the move, describing it as “gross contempt of the Constitution.” Malviya wrote, “Siddaramaiah administration in Karnataka is evaluating a proposal to provide reservations to Muslims in public contracts for construction (civil) works. If Muslims are given this quota in Karnataka then whose share will be cut – SC, ST, or OBCs?”

He also highlighted similar measures in Telangana, where Muslims have been allocated a 4% reservation in contracts. According to Malviya, this allocation comes at the expense of other socially backward communities. He further criticised the Congress, accusing it of prioritising Muslim votes, saying, “In Maharashtra, Congress-led MVA has accepted Jinnah-like demand of the All-India Ulema Board. It is all about Muslim votes for the Congress, in gross contempt of the Constitution, which precludes any religion-based reservation.”

This isn’t the first move by Siddaramaiah’s administration to address concerns within Karnataka’s Muslim community. In April, the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) confirmed that all castes and communities of Muslims in Karnataka are included under category II-B for reservations in employment and education, further defining them as other backward classes (OBC). The NCBC also highlighted social discrimination issues faced by lower-caste Muslims, including protests from backward and Dalit communities against perceived inequities by upper-class Muslims such as Sheikhs, Syeds, and Pathans.

Presently, 36 Muslim communities in Karnataka fall within categories 1 and 2A of the central OBC list. These communities remain subject to a creamy layer income cap of ₹8 lakh per year for reservation eligibility.