Political Pressure Peaks In Karnataka As Caste Data Fuels New Power Struggles

Just hours before the caste survey report is set to be tabled before the Karnataka cabinet, a major political upheaval is unfolding. The report recommends increasing the OBC quota from 32% to a whopping 51%, estimating the OBC population at 69.6% — a figure far higher than earlier projections. Congress faces internal rift as powerful Vokkaliga leaders label the report a “grave injustice” to their community. Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, a Vokkaliga himself, held an emergency meeting with community leaders as voices grow louder for him to be made CM. Even religious leaders like Nirmalanandanatha Swamiji have entered the fray. Meanwhile, CM Siddaramaiah is treading cautiously, facing heat from both inside the party and the opposition. BJP has slammed the survey, calling it a divisive political tool. Why now? What’s the real motive behind releasing a decade-old report? Is this the beginning of a caste-based churn in Karnataka’s politics?