Quota: CM Bommai sweats as Panchamasali seer sets March 15 as deadline

Shyam Sundar Vattam | NT

Bengaluru: An ultimatum given by Sri Jaya Mruthyunjaya Swamiji of Panchamasali Peeta, Koodalasangama, for the fulfillment of their longpending demand, seems to be hanging like a Damocles sword on the head of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai who is already in a neckdeep trouble over other things.

Last week, the seer openly set a deadline of March 15 for the State government to take a final decision on the hike in quota for the Panchamasali community failing which they would be compelled to take a political stand. The issue of reservation has turned out to be a hot butter that cannot be swallowed or gulped.

Ahead of the crucial Assembly polls, the warning of Sri Jayamruthyunjaya Swamiji who is championing the cause of the Panchamasali community has come as a warning bell for Bommai as he has to take certain decisions before March 15 to make the community happy. Bommai’s plan to resolve this matter has been delayed after some persons moved the high court to create two new categories and place the Panchamasali and Vokkaliga communities in them.

The government’s plan to hike the quota for those communities by transferring some percentage from the 10 percent reservation announced for the Economically Weaker Sections fell flat after experts advised that it was not possible since it was the central legislation. In the current quota matrix, juggling is not possible as almost every community had been brought under the ambit of reservation except brahmins.

The CM is waiting for the final report of the Backward Classes Commissioned headed by K.Jayaprakash Hegde to consult the high command to bail out from the current situation. No help The CM cannot expect any help from Vijayapura City MLA Basangouda Patil Yatnal, despite being close to the seer, because he considers his community more important than the party.

The Congress Party is waiting for the community to take the anti-BJP stand so that it would be benefitted a lot in the coming Assembly polls. To check this, Bommai is learned to have sought the help of legal luminaries to do something in this regard as the party cannot afford to lose around 1.25 crore votes of the Panchamasali community across the State.

Hurriedaction

A leader said the CM should not have committed to increasing the quota for the community without studying the issue in detail. His predecessor, B.S.Yediyurappa who was aware of legal wrangles, declined to make any promise to the seer. Now the pressure was on the neck of Bommai to fulfill the demand of the community.