Kerala : Almost six years since the commissioning of the “Socio-Economic and Education Survey”, better known as caste-census, by the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in 2015, a section of leaders from some of the most marginalized groups in Karnataka are attempting to take the legal route to get chief minister BS Yediyurappa to release the findings, HT has learned. With just two years to go before assembly elections in 2023, making the report public is likely to have a significant impact on the complex caste equations in a state where dominant communities like Lingayats and Vokkaligas have ruled the narrative. The newly formed AthiHindulidaJagrutiVedike (Kannada for extreme backward classes awareness forum) has now approached former chief minister Siddaramaiah and the Congress party to make the report public.

“The reservation that is being given out today is based on unscientific data and there are extremely backward classes who have no representation economically, socially or politically to raise their voices,” MukyamanthriChamdru, former legislator and popular Kannada cinema actor told Hindustan Times on Sunday. Chandru is also the honorary president of the newly formed forum. The forum is targeting to file a petition of Mandamus (judicial writ to command to order to perform a public or statutory duty) by July 16 or coming Friday.

“The commission conducted the survey directed by the government which was their mandate. They (backward classes commission) have collected all the data and the report is also ready as they have shared it under RTI,” AS Ponanna, former Additional Advocate General of Karnataka and senior counsel said.

The senior counsel added that ₹162 crores of the state’s money has been spent on this purpose and this information should be available to the public. Siddaramaiah, from the backward yet politically formidable Kuruba community, attempted to conduct the caste census in 2015, the first since 1931 anywhere in the country, as a way to challenge the dominant caste theory in Karnataka.

Successive governments, including the one that commissioned it, have steered clear of considering the sensitive nature of the information that has the potential to review the perceived size of caste groups which have allowed a few communities to have better bargaining power compared to others.

Siddaramaiah, who stormed to power in 2013 on the back of AHINDA (Kannada acronym for Muslims, backward classes and Dalits) is hoping the release of the data would also help his claim to the top post from within his party to rule out the likes of state Congress president DK Shivakumar among others if the Congress returns to power in 2023.