Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah finds himself in a precarious position as agitation brews over the state's caste survey. The decision by the Congress party to conduct a fresh caste re-enumeration has placed the government in a difficult situation, wedged between various communities with conflicting interests.

On one side, a segment of the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) fears losing the perceived numerical advantage they held in the Kantharaj Commission's report. On the other side, dominant communities such as the Lingayats and Vokkaligas are advocating for a re-enumeration, claiming they were undercounted in the previous survey. This divergence of opinions has surfaced following Siddaramaiah's seemingly hesitant acceptance of the Congress high command's directive for a new survey.

Representatives from some OBC groups have been vocal in their demand for the implementation of the original caste survey report, which was submitted by the Karnataka State Commission for Backwards Classes last year. The Kantharaj Commission's data is believed to be favorable to OBCs, especially communities like the Kurubas, who were classified under a separate 1-B category with 12% reservation. The report also proposes doubling the reservation for Muslims from 4% to 8%, a move that some still consider insufficient.

The Shoshitha Vargagala Maha Okkota, representing "oppressed" OBCs, backward classes, and minorities, has threatened a statewide agitation against the proposed new census. K Ramachadrappa, its president and former head of Karnataka Pradesha Kurubara Sangha, has questioned the rationale for discarding the Kantharaj Commission report after an expenditure of ₹168 crore on the previous survey. He argues that the government's claim that the survey must be conducted every 10 years is irrelevant since the Kantharaj report was never implemented. The organization is demanding the implementation of the report's recommendations and plans to meet on June 20 to decide on the modalities for their agitation.

Conversely, the Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities, who had previously opposed the Kantharaj report, are planning outreach and online surveys to "complement" the government's efforts. These communities had raised concerns about being undercounted in the earlier survey, leading to demands for a fresh enumeration. The Vokkaligas and Lingayats currently enjoy reservation under the III A and III B categories of the OBC quota in the state. The non-Kuruba backward classes also raised objections to the recommendation that the Kurubas – a community to which CM Siddaramaiah belongs – be moved from 'more backward' to 'most backward' category.

The Karnataka government has announced a caste re-enumeration process within 90 days amid rising tensions among communities. Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has promised a transparent approach to address concerns after the previous census faced backlash for undercounting dominant castes.

Adding to the complexity, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah has clarified that the Congress high command, not his government, decided to conduct a fresh caste survey, amidst concerns about potential backlash from his core voter base. He stated that the 2015 report was accepted in principle, addressing complaints about outdated data.

Several ministers and communities have expressed apprehensions, and keeping this in mind, the party leadership has decided to re-enumerate castes in the state. The Karnataka cabinet will decide the timeline for the caste re-enumeration to be conducted in the state within 90 days, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said, promising a 'transparent' process that protects the interests of all sections of society.

The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka criticised CM Siddaramaiah for his “usual recklessness” and sought an apology. Taking to X, Karnataka BJP general secretary Sunil Kumar Karkala contended that the Congress high command “has scrapped the caste census report prepared by the state government.”

Amidst this turmoil, the path forward remains unclear, and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is under pressure to navigate these conflicting demands while maintaining social harmony and political stability in the state.