The Vokkaliga community leaders were in a huddle on Tuesday to discuss their future course of action on the issue of the Socio-Economic and Educational Survey report that is set to be discussed in the Cabinet on Thursday.
While Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar chaired a meeting of Vokkaliga Ministers and legislators, mostly from the Congress, in the evening to formulate a response, the Rajya Vokkaliga Sangha decided to wait till Thursday to announce its next course.
Sangha president Kenchappa Gowda told presspersons that the executive committee on Tuesday decided to wait till the Cabinet meeting and then launch a protest if needed. He said that Vokkaligas would join hands with Veerashaiva-Lingayats and other communities that have expressed opposition against the survey report. “We will show our power. We are also exploring the possibility of mounting a legal fight.”
Late on Tuesday evening, Mr. Shivakumar chaired a meeting of Vokkaliga leaders, which was going on at the time of going to press.
The Akhila Bharata Veerashaiva Mahasabha is yet to hold the meeting of Lingayat legislators, and sources said that it is likely to be held on Wednesday night or Thursday morning. A joint meeting of Veerashaiva-Lingayat and Vokkaliga leaders is also being planned, sources said.
‘Send to Centre’
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s economic adviser Basavaraj Rayaraddi told presspersons that the State should accept the survey report and send it to the Centre to ensure that it gets into the Ninth Schedule. “In the past, the Congress government at the Centre allowed it when the Tamil Nadu government wanted to raise the reservation limit to 69%.”
Published – April 16, 2025 03:31 am IST
