BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said that the State Government will take a call on including the Panchamasali Lingayat community under the 2A category after holding consultations with legal and constitutional experts after the upcoming Budget session of the legislature.
“The previous BJP government took a hasty decision on the reservation issue and that caused confusion. Any decision that is taken should be within the constitutional framework. So, a meeting will be convened and the issue will be discussed,” the CM told reporters after meeting a delegation of Panchamasali Lingayat community members led by Sri Jaya Mruthyunjaya Swamiji at his home office.
The delegation, including 15 MLAs, also appealed for the community to be included in the State’s 2A list and OBC reservation of the Union Government. The seer said that the inclusion of the community — which is socially and economically backward — in the BC list will help community members join mainstream.
MLA Vinay Kulkarni said that the community opposed the scrapping of reservation under 2B category for the Muslim community. The delegation included minister Laxmi Hebbalkar, MLAs Vijayanand Kashappanavar, and his wife Veena Kashappanavar, and Abbayya Prasad. They also called on DyCM D K Shivakumar at Kumarakrupa guest house.