Internal reservation row deepens in Karnataka Congress; SC (Left) leaders meet Kharge

Bengaluru: Differences between Scheduled Caste sub-groups within the ruling Indian National Congress in Karnataka have intensified over the implementation of internal reservation, with leaders from the SC (Left) community meeting Mallikarjun Kharge to seek intervention in resolving the issue.

A delegation of senior SC (Left) leaders met the AICC president on Wednesday and urged him to ensure that internal reservation is implemented before the state government proceeds with recruitment to more than 56,000 vacant government posts. The delegation included Food and Civil Supplies Minister K. H. Muniyappa and Excise Minister R. B. Timmapur.

The Madiga community, which forms a major part of the SC (Left) group and has been demanding internal reservation for decades, has strongly opposed the state government’s decision to fill 56,432 vacancies without implementing internal quota within the Scheduled Caste reservation.

The leaders argued that ignoring internal reservation would deprive certain sub-castes of fair representation in government employment. They sought Kharge’s intervention to ensure a consensus within the party and the government before moving ahead with the recruitment process.

Interestingly, Kharge himself belongs to the SC (Right) community and is often perceived to be sympathetic to those who support filling the vacancies without implementing internal reservation at this stage. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Muniyappa said Kharge advised leaders from both sides to resolve the issue amicably.

According to Muniyappa, Kharge emphasised that no community should face injustice and assured that he would personally discuss the matter with concerned leaders. “All communities must come together and ensure equal sharing. We have agreed to this approach and will inform the Chief Minister,” Muniyappa said.

He also stated that the matter would be discussed with senior ministers such as Home Minister Dr. G. Parameshwara and Social Welfare Minister H. C. Mahadevappa, both of whom belong to the SC (Right) community and hold key positions in the cabinet led by Siddaramaiah.

However, Muniyappa did not clearly explain how an equal distribution would be achieved if the overall reservation for Scheduled Castes is reduced from 17 percent to 15 percent. Sources suggest that the existing 6–6–5 formula used for internal distribution could be proportionally revised to approximately 5.5–5.5–4.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka State Federation of Right Communities has urged the state government to proceed with recruitment without internal reservation until a final verdict is delivered by the Karnataka High Court.

The contentious issue is expected to be discussed in detail during the state cabinet meeting scheduled for Thursday, where the government may take a crucial decision on whether to implement internal reservation before beginning the recruitment process.