Karnataka Government Revives 4% Muslim Quota Proposal for Contractors
BENGALURU: In a significant political move, the Karnataka government is poised to reintroduce a proposal that grants a 4% quota for Muslim contractors in public civil works. This decision comes nearly a year after the proposal was initially dropped amid controversy and accusations of appeasement politics.
The initiative, spearheaded by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, aims to consolidate support among the Ahinda community—a collective term for minorities, backward classes, and Dalits that forms a critical voter base for the Congress party. The government plans to amend the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements Act, 1999, during the current budget session of the assembly to implement this reservation.
Current Reservation Landscape
Under the existing framework, Karnataka allocates 24% of civil work contracts for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), 4% for Other Backward Classes (OBC) category-1, and 15% for OBCs in category-2A, totaling 43% of the overall contracts. If the proposed 4% Muslim quota is passed under category-2B, the total reservation for government contracts will rise to 47%, with the ceiling for contracts doubling to Rs 2 crore.
During his previous tenure as CM from 2013 to 2018, Siddaramaiah introduced similar reservations for SC/ST contractors. Recently, two OBC categories received similar benefits, affecting communities like Besta and Uppara, while the Kuruba community, to which Siddaramaiah belongs, is categorized under category-2A.
Political Reactions and Controversies
The Karnataka government’s push for expanded reservations has drawn criticism from contractors belonging to the Vokkaliga and Lingayat communities, who do not benefit from such policies. The opposition party, BJP, has labeled the initiative as “unconstitutional” and an example of “appeasement politics,” arguing that it divides society along religious lines.
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