Amid quick-paced developments over a possible leadership transition, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday evening received the much-awaited Socio-Educational Survey (caste census) report from the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes.
This gains particular significance in light of Mr. Siddaramaiah’s legacy as a tall leader of the OBC bloc, and the report being viewed as part of his legacy. The report is also expected to bring pressure on the Congress, which has been championing the cause of OBC reservation and has brought pressure on the NDA-led Centre to incorporate caste enumeration as part of the General Census.
Sources aware of the developments told The Hindu that commission members held a meeting called at short notice on Wednesday morning to discuss and finalise the report. By evening, the report was submitted by commission chairman Madhusudan R. Naik, accompanied by commission members, to the Chief Minister, who arrived at his office in Vidhan Soudha to receive it.
The survey, conducted in 2025 at an estimated cost of ₹635 crore, covered nearly 5.9 crore of the then estimated population of 6.26 crore in Karnataka. As many as 54 questions were part of the survey, which was also boycotted by certain sections and witnessed intervention of the Karnataka High Court.
Government sources said that now, the onus of implementing the report will rest on the Congress government that has little less than two years left in the term. “The Cabinet will have to discuss it and decide how to proceed further. It may decide to place it before the legislature and also allow public consultation and feedback,” the sources said, adding that Mr. Siddaramaiah received the report to ensure his legacy and so that the party and future leaders could be accountable for its implementation.
According to sources, discussions on accepting the survey report had figured in the last Cabinet when several ministers had asked the Chief Minister about the survey report. They had expressed fears that it would lose importance once the national survey begins.
This is the report of the second survey conducted by the commission headed by Mr. Naik. The earlier survey, conducted by the H. Kantharaj Commission in 2015, the report of which was submitted by the Jayaprakash Hegde-led commission in 2024, had been shelved on the basis of it being “outdated data.” The first survey had been opposed by people within the Siddaramaiah-led Cabinet, including Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and Industries Minister M.B. Patil, who belong to the Vokkaliga and Lingayat communities, respectively. Incidentally, Mr. Shivakumar is now the strongest contender to succeed Mr. Siddaramaiah in the event of a power transition in Karnataka.
At the national level, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has been pushing for the caste survey and increased reservation for OBCs, while the commission’s report had been hanging fire in Karnataka. The pushback had come from the dominant Vokkaliga and Veerashaiva-Lingayat communities, which, seeking a “fresh scientific survey”, had forced Mr. Siddaramaiah to set aside the first report. The survey will potentially weigh heavily on the Congress government, with opposing caste interests at play from within and outside.
Also Read | Nothing wrong in holding caste census, any govt of the day should know who is backward, SC says
Published - May 27, 2026 06:55 pm IST
Karnataka / Caste / state politics
Source: The Hindu - India News
