Karnataka election 2023: Quota move may favour BJP, predicts NDTV Public Opinion

The Karnataka BJP government's decision to shift 4 per cent reservation from Muslims to Lingayats and Vokkaligas in jobs and education is expected to benefit the party in the upcoming Karnataka assembly election 2023, according to a Public Opinion conducted by NDTV in collaboration with Lokniti-Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS).

The NDTV survey further revealed that only 33 per cent of those surveyed were aware of the new policy, and the percentage of those fully supporting each aspect of the government's move did not exceed 30%. However, a high percentage of respondents partially supported the decision and could potentially convert into votes.

The survey found that 45 per cent of people showed some support for the increased reservation for Lingayats, 37 per cent for Vokkaligas, and 40-41 per cent for Scheduled Castes and Tribes. Meanwhile, 23 per cent of people fully supported the scrapping of the quota for Muslims, and 25 per cent partially supported it.

In March, the Karnataka government scrapped the 4 per cent quota given to Muslims under 2B classification of the OBC category

Earlier, Lingayatas, traditional supporters of the BJP, had a 5 per cent quota, while Vokkaliggas, who were divided between the Congress and HD Kumaraswamy's Janata Dal Secular, had a 4 per cent quota. Under the new reservation policy, the Lingayats will enjoy 7 per cent reservation in government jobs and education and the Vokkaligas 6 per cent under the newly created 2D and 2C categories, respectively. Additionally, the quota for Scheduled Castes (SC) was raised from 15 per cent to 17 per cent, and the ST quota from 3 per cent to 7 per cent.

The BJP's efforts to increase its outreach in the state have resulted in these changes, as it has never won a majority in the 224-member assembly on its own. However, the decision has angered marginal sections such as the Banjara, Bhovi, Koracha, and Korama communities, who are demanding a caste-based census. This demand is currently being supported by opposition parties, including the Congress.

NDTV reports,''The survey aimed to gauge the public's mood ahead of the May 10 assembly election in Karnataka, and 2,143 voters spread across 82 polling stations in 21 assembly constituencies were interviewed using multi-stage systematic random sampling (SRS). Although the sample size was small, it is expected to represent the state's population and accurately reflect the voters' mood.''