Congress government to re-enumerate caste data

New Delhi

The Congress high command on Tuesday directed the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to carry out fresh enumeration of caste data in Karnataka, following concerns raised by several communities over alleged discrepancies in the earlier survey conducted a decade ago. The decision was taken at a high-level meeting of party leaders held in New Delhi. 

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, addressing the media after the meeting, confirmed that the contentious caste census was thoroughly discussed. “The caste census issue was deliberated upon. The party high command agrees in principle with what the Karnataka government has done so far. However, there are apprehensions among certain sections and communities regarding their representation in the existing caste count,” Siddaramaiah said.

To address these concerns, the Congress leadership has advised the state government to re-enumerate the caste data both through online and offline surveys. The new data collection process is expected to be completed within 60 to 80 days. “As per the leadership’s direction, we will initiate a fresh enumeration exercise in line with the Scheduled Caste internal reservation survey model recently undertaken by the government,” Siddaramaiah stated. He added that the dates for the survey will be announced soon.

The meeting was attended by senior Congress leaders, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, besides Chief Minister Siddaramaiah himself.

The caste census remains a politically sensitive subject in Karnataka, where community-wise population figures are crucial for shaping future policies on internal reservation and social welfare schemes. The earlier caste census, conducted nearly 10 years ago, has faced criticism for allegedly excluding or misrepresenting certain castes and communities.

RCB stampede incident also discussed

Apart from the caste census, the recent tragic stampede in Bengaluru also figured in the discussions. The incident occurred on June 4 outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) victory celebrations after their maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) title win. The stampede resulted in the death of 11 people and left several others injured.

Party leaders expressed concern over the lapses that may have led to the mishap. However, Siddaramaiah clarified that no talks regarding a cabinet reshuffle took place during the meeting.

The developments signal the Congress party’s attempt to address politically sensitive issues ahead of future electoral battles in Karnataka while also managing fallout from recent administrative mishaps.