Explained | How quota politics is playing out in Karnataka election 2023 runup

CM Bommai and former chief ministers such as B. S. Yediyurappa (BJP), S.R. Bommai (Congress) and J.H. Patel (JDS) all belonged to the Lingayat community. The community is seen as the BJP's support base but it's not that simple as the party needs the support of the Vokkaligas as well to control the old Mysuru region.

What do the Lingayats want?

Monday marks the first day of the Karnataka legislative Assembly's first session and the deadline for the Lingayats' request. The Lingayats have set a deadline of December 19, 2022 (today) for the Karnataka government to consider increasing reservations for their community.

On the demands, NDTV reports that community seer Sri Vachananda Swami said, "There will be no compromise with this." The community currently comes under category 3B with 5 percent quota but is campaigning to be moved under category 2A, with 15 percent reservation.

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The Panchamsalis, a sub-sect of the Lingayats, comprise 70 percent of the community. Influential seers from the community have been putting pressure on the state government, leading protests and threatening to launch agitations until they get what they're asking for.

According to The Quint, the All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha plans on holding a three-day convention with over 50,000 people in Davanagere on Friday, December 23.

What do the Vokkaligas want?

The Vokkaligas, on the other hand, have set a deadline of January 23, 2023 to hike their OBC quota of 4 percent to 12 percent, as the Hindustan Times,. They currently fall under category 3A. The community is supposed to hold a protest rally on that day to fight for their demands.

"If there's no option, we have to fight for it," Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President D.K. Shivakumar, a member of the Vokkaliga community, was quoted saying in the Hindustan Times. The Vokkaliga community has a strong hold in the Old Mysore region, pushing the BJP government to appease them to garner their support.

Several seers and MLAs of the community co-signed a memorandum and submitted it to BJP MLA and Karnataka Minister of Revenue R. Ashoka, who promised to make "honest efforts to convince the leadership" to meet their demands.

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Frowning upon the lack of "scientific basis" behind their requests, former Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes chairperson C.S. Dwarakanath told the Deccan Herald that the communities are making the reservation system irrelevant. "Seeking reservation has become like a sweet-meat stall. On what basis are they demanding reservation? And, on what basis will the government decide," he questioned. "Why are they agitating when 4-5 months are left for elections? What were they doing for the last 4-5 years?"

Other communities such as the Kuruba and the Valmiki-Nayakas have also raised their demands for increased reservations.