Vokkaligas seek hike in quota; hold symbolic protest

Shyam Sundar Vattam| NT

Mysuru: The dominant Vokkaliga community in south Karnataka symbolically held a bike rally on Monday to mark the beginning of an agitation seeking hike in the quota for them from 4 per cent to 12 percent.

Hundreds of people took out a colourful bike rally on the main roads of Maddur town in Mandya district urging the state government to increase reservation up to 12 per cent in education and employment following a sizeable increase in the population.

The cut-outs of Sri Balagangdharanatha Swamiji and Dr Nirmalanandanatha Swami of Adichunchanagiri Mutt were taken out along with the rally. The south Karnataka districts of Mysuru, Chamarajanagar, Mandya, Hassan, Ramanagar, Bengaluru Rural, Tumakuru, Chitradurga, Chikkaballapur and Doddaballapur have a sizeable number of Vokkaligas with the concentration more in Mysuru, Mandya, Hassan and Ramanagar.

A week after Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai announced a hike in quota for SC/ST communities, other communities who have two or three per cent reservation, are demanding a hike in reservation as the present percentage does not match their population.

This has stirred a hornet’s nest and put the incumbent BJP government in a tight spot as it would be like opening a Pandora’s box. Dr Nirmalanandanatha Swami has asked the CM to hike the quota for Vokkaligas from 4 per cent to 12 per cent .

The BJP has made inroads into Kalyana Karnataka, Kittur Karnataka, Coastal Karnataka and Central Karnataka but the lotus has not yet bloomed in four to five districts of South Karnataka. Though, former CM B.S.Yediyurappa hails from K.R.Pet taluk, he has failed to make any dent in the elections.

In 2019, the BJP opened its account in Mandya after Dr.C.Narayanagowda contested on the lotus symbol. Earlier, it was the stronghold of the Congress but it was captured by Janata Dal (Secular) thanks to former PM H.D.Deve Gowda.

Since then the competition is between the Congress and JD(S) and the saffron party has no place at all. Considering this, the BJP has plans to make a dent in this Vokkaliga belt by wooing strong Vokkaliga leaders. Top BJP leaders are in talks with Mandya MP Sumalatha Ambareesh to join the party by assuring the Maddur ticket for her son, Abhishek Ambareesh.

The CM is also said to be in consultation with legal experts on hiking the reservation for Vokkaligas from 4 per cent to 8 per cent. If the quota is hiked, the BJP will definitely make this as an election plank to win the hearts of Vokkaligas.

Meanwhile, Sri Nanjavadhoota Swamiji of Spatikapuura Mahasamsthan Mutt, has remarked that Vokkaligas are like a peaceful ocean but they may become strong waves and it will be difficult for the government to check it