The nearly decade of debate on the caste breakup of Karnataka population seems to have reached a critical stage, with the cabinet being surveyed by the Socio-Economic and Educational (Caste Census). It is expected to have far-reaching political implications, turning the current demographic narrative and community claims in the face of the claims.
These figures have been contested by land-owned and politically dominated communities (Veerashaiva-lingayats and vokkaligas), who will prompt them to not accept pressure from governments to accept suggestions, even if the retention matrix has been proposed, including a large number of quota hikes.
Reduced quantity
According to the survey report, it occupies the rule of the political landscape in the northern and central Karnataka and claims that 18% to 22% of the state’s population is 11% in the survey report. Their population is fixed at 6.635 million. So far, nine chief ministers in the state have come from the community. Similarly, the population of Vokkaliga in the old Mysore region is about 14% to 16%, and now it is 10.29%. Their population is about 6.158 million. According to a survey conducted by the Karnataka Backward Class Committee, the gap between the two communities is less than 1%.
Although the proposed retention of Lingayat-deerashaiva has dropped from 5% to 8%, sources at Akhila Bharatha Veerashaiva Mahasabha said they “doubts doubts about the population survey data have been fulfilled”. “It’s an incredible number and we’re going to fight. We don’t agree with the data,” the source said.
Even Vokkaliga Sangha’s sources claim that the numbers in the survey do not match the numbers on the ground and that the “caste chaos” during the enumeration reduced the number. A total of seven chief ministers serving the state come from the community. So far, five chief ministers have come from other backward classes (including the current Siddaramaiah) and two Brahmins have ruled the state. The OBC population is estimated to account for about 70% of the state’s population.
Politically, the influence of land-owned communities spreads to 51 constituencies of pre-determined castes and pre-determined tribes. Veerashaiva-Lingayats elected assembled for 224 members have exceeded 50, while Vokkaligas have exceeded 40 members.
Muslim, SC/ST numbers
The caste census has made Muslims the single block with the highest population in the state, about 12.58% or about 752.5 trillion.
The pre-ordered castes together constitute 18.2% or about 109 million of the state’s population, while the planned tribes account for 7.1% or 4.381 million, and they jointly booked 24.1%.
The general category is not in the booking matrix of social, economic and educational backwardness, including Brahmins, Arya Vaishya, Arya Vaishya, Mudaliars, Nagartharu and Jains, which are about 29.74 million or about 4.9% of the population. However, this category qualifies for 10% reservations under the Economic Weaker Class (EWS).
publishing – April 12, 2025 11:06 pm ist
