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DK Shivakumar has come out in support of Siddaramaiah over the announcement of 4% quota for minorities in government contracts.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar (PTI Image)
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Saturday extended support to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over the 4% reservation row. This came as the BJP alleged that the Congress government was introducing the quota for “Muslim appeasement”.
Denying claims, the Deputy CM said that the 4% quota was not only for Muslims but for all minorities and backward classes.
Siddaramaiah’s Budget Announcement
Siddaramaiah announced reservations in the government contracts in the state Budget 2025 on Friday, in which an allocation of Rs 42,018 crore was made for the welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
While addressing the Assembly, though he did not name any community, the Budget mentioned category 2B, which includes only Muslims.
“Under the provisions of Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement Act, the reservation provided to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Category-I, Category-IIA and Category-IIB contractors in works will be increased to Rs 2 crore,” Siddaramaiah said.
The Karnataka government has amended the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement (KTPP) Act, allowing reservations in the procurement of goods and services for SC, ST, Category 1, Category 2A, and Category 2B suppliers for contracts up to Rs 1 crore.
Following demands from minority leaders to allocate 4% of contract works for Muslims, a cabinet meeting was held under Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to discuss the proposal. The Finance Department had prepared the blueprint, and the amendment was approved with the consent of Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister HK Patil.
BJP Slams Congress Over Reservation
The BJP slammed the Congress government over the issue, dubbing it as the “peak of appeasement politics”. The party claimed that the state government was acting against the spirit of the Consitution.
State BJP president BY Vijayendra criticized the Congress government, alleging that it was pushing Karnataka towards strife. He claimed that the state government had not released any funds for MLAs, and with no tenders called or work allotted, the proposed reservation was meaningless.
“Does the grand old party think that only Muslims constitute the minority group? If Chief Minister Siddaramaiah truly considers himself an Ahinda leader, he should focus on empowering all marginalized communities and strengthening them economically,” Vijayendra said.
“Communities like Madivala, Savita, and many others also exist and require state support. However, the government is failing to bring them into the mainstream and is instead focused on appeasing Muslims. The people will have to teach them a lesson,” he said.
