TUMAKURU: Opposition leader and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is on a 10-day break at the Jindal Naturecure Institute for rejuvenation, where he is putting the time to good use by chalking out strategies to reinvigorate the AHINDA (acronym for the Minorities, Backward Classes and Dalits) movement by focusing on microscopic backward communities.
After the recent convention in Kolar, a similar event was held on Saturday with much fanfare in Tumakuru, a stronghold of backward classes. Former MLA K N Rajanna, a staunch supporter of Siddaramaiah, who had claimed credit for the defeat of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, has now started organising backward communities in the region.
The entry of former chairman of Karnataka Backward Classes Commission, Dr CS Dwarakanath, into the Congress fold has given a much-needed fillip as he is seen as one championing the cause of the backward classes for four decades.
Asked whether Siddaramaiah had assigned him the job of mobilising the most backward classes, Dwarakanath replied in the affirmative. “KPCC president D K Shivakumar too has entrusted the work to me as they have to work out the caste chemistry and bring the communities out of the influence of communal and fascist forces in Karnataka”, he remarked.
“We are not particular about Siddaramaiah as the next CM, but whoever champions the cause of the most backward communities should take the chair. It could be Shivakumar or Dr G Parameshwara”, he clarified.
The main agenda now is to insist that the State Government accept and release the data on the socio-economic survey of castes done by the Backward Classes Commission which has been on the backburner since 2015, according to MLC M C Venugopal. “ Besides this, we will also oppose inclusion of Panchamasali Lingayats in the 2A category as the quota is not increased”, he pointed out.
It is expected that Opposition leader Siddaramaiah will raise the issue in the upcoming Assembly session. A statewide awareness campaign on the issues concerning the most backward classes has also been planned.
Interestingly, former DyCM Dr G Parameshwara was invited for the backward classes convention in his home turf following the insistence of his supporters and second-rung leaders.
“If you remember, I too had helped organise the AHINDA mega event in Tumakuru in 2005, which was one of the factors that helped Siddaramaiah become CM ultimately,” he remarked.