Bengaluru: In a strategic move that comes days ahead of the announcement of Assembly elections, the State Government on Friday hiked the reservation quota for Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities by two percent each.

The hike will increase their reservation in the OBC pool to 6 percent and 7 percent under categories 2(C) and 2 (D) respectively, from the present 4 and 5 percent. The Government removed Muslims from the 2B category (4 percent) of Other Backward Classes (OBC) and split the quantum equally between Veerashaiva-Lingayats and Vokkaligas at 2 percent each.

The two communities were earlier under Categories 3A and 3B, which stand scrapped.

With this delicate balancing act, the BJP Government hopes to placate the politically dominant Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities that had sought a hike in their quotas. The Government was especially under pressure from the Panchamasalis, a numerically stronger sub-sect of Lingayats, which has launched an indefinite stir at Bengaluru seeking adequate reservation.

Announcing this after probably what is his last Cabinet meeting ahead of the forthcoming Assembly polls, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said that under the newly created categories of 2C and 2D in OBC quota for Vokkaligas and Veerashaiva-Lingayats, the reservation quota had increased from 4 percent to 6 percent and from 5 percent to 7 percent respectively.

In another move, the Cabinet decided to approve internal reservation among 101 Scheduled Castes and recommend it to the Centre for implementation. The break-up of the internal reservation for Scheduled Castes is: 6 percent for SC (Left), 5.5 percent for SC (Right), 4.5 percent for SC – Touchables (Banjara, Bhovi, Korcha, Kuruma etc.) and  1 percent for SC (Others), totalling 17 percent.

Will decide after discussing new reservation quota: Panchamasali Seer: Meanwhile, Panchamasali Seer Basavajaya Mrutyunjaya Swamji, who has been spearheading an indefinite stir seeking reservation for Panchamasali Lingayat sub-sect, which has a sizeable population in the State, said that he will announce his decision on whether to withdraw the agitation or not, after thoroughly studying the Government’s latest reservation quota announced on Friday.

“We will study the entire text of the reservation quota announced by the Government on Friday and come to a conclusion on whether to call off the agitation. As promised, Chief Minister Bommai has announced the reservation, which will be discussed with community leader Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, an MLA and other legal experts, before we make an announcement on calling off the stir on Mar.25. Until then, the community members  should not celebrate,” he pointed out.