Will restore 4% quota for Muslims if voted to power: Karnataka Cong chief DKS

Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar on Friday reiterated that the Congress will restore 4 per cent Muslim quota if it comes to power.

"Without any complications, we raised our two lists. BJP could not raise its list yet...More lists will come...As soon as our government comes, we will cancel the reservation issue and will protect the minority interest," ANI quoted DK Shivakumar as saying in an interview.

Last month, the Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government announced the scrapping of 4 per cent reservation for Muslims under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) quota.

The 4 per cent quota will now be equally shared by between dominant Vokkaligas and Lingayat communities. "A cabinet sub-committee recommended the changes in quota categories and we have done it," NDTV quoted the Karnataka CM as saying.

Muslims had come under Category 2B and now they will compete with the EWS quota, which has Brahmins, Vysyas, Mudaliyars, Jains and others.

After the latest announcement, Vokkaligas have six per cent reservations and Lingayats have seven per cent reservations under Categories 2 (C) and 2 (D), respectively.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday said the BJP's State Election Committee has shortlisted three names per constituency for the May 10 Assembly polls and the Parliamentary Board will meet in New Delhi on April 8 to discuss and finalise the list of candidates.

The Chief Minister is leaving for New Delhi this evening.

"Tomorrow our Parliamentary Board meeting is there (in Delhi). After discussions today and tomorrow (on candidates) the Parliamentary Board will meet to finalise," Bommai said.

Speaking to reporters here, he said, "Opinions have been gathered from constituency and district level, after which the State Election Committee has discussed and has shortlisted three names (per constituency), it will be discussed and finalised by the Parliamentary Board in Delhi." Ticket aspirants are waiting for the BJP to announce the list of candidates, with the election date approaching.

With inputs from agencies