The Congress high command on Tuesday suggested to the State government in Karnataka to hold re-enumeration of caste data within a stipulated time to address concerns of some communities who complained of being left out of the Socio-economic and Educational Survey (caste census) that was conducted 10 years ago, in 2015-16.
A special Cabinet meeting scheduled to be held on June 12 at Nandi Hills in Chikkaballapur district is expected to announce the calendar of events for conducting the resurvey of castes.
The party high command had summoned Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and KPCC president and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar to New Delhi to discuss the political development in the State following the stampede in Bengaluru which claimed 11 lives and left 56 injured.
Agreed in-principle
Briefing the media in New Delhi, AICC general secretary and MP K.C. Venugopal said, “The Congress party thinks that whatever the Karnataka government has done in the caste census should be agreed to in-principle. But there are some apprehensions from some sections and communities about the counting of the caste.”
Politically dominant castes, especially Lingayats and Vokkaligas, had been demanding a resurvey, while those in Other Backward Classes (OBCs) had been demanding implementation of the recommendations of the caste census report.
The caste census emerged as one of the key State issues discussed in a party meeting attended by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, senior leader Rahul Gandhi, AICC general secretary in charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala Mr. Venugopal, Mr. Siddaramaiah and Mr. Shivakumar in New Delhi.
In 60 to 80 days
The State government had conducted the caste census a decade ago and the data was now outdated, Mr. Venugopal said. “The Congress party has suggested to the Chief Minister to do a re-enumeration process within a stipulated time, say 60, 70 or 80 days. This is what we decided about the caste census in the meeting,” he said.
The caste census report was tabled in the State Cabinet meeting held on April 17 and discussed in the subsequent meetings. But the government was unable to reach consensus on the matter owing opposition from Ministers belonging to the Veerashaiva-Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities, besides Opposition parties, seers and community organisations of dominant castes.
The move comes close on the heels of the Centre announcing the schedule of the national Census with caste enumeration.
Published – June 10, 2025 09:46 pm IST
