BENGALURU: The Janata Dal (Secular), which is in an alliance with Bharatiya Janata Party in Karnataka, is reportedly in a Catch-22 situation as to whether to support the 4% quota for Muslims in government contracts under 2B category or join hands with its alliance partner BJP to oppose it.
The Congress government in Karnataka passed the bill on Friday, providing the quota for minorities, amid strong opposition from BJP.
Union Minister for Steel and Heavy Industries and former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy, who is also JDS state president, is likely to make the party’s stand clear in New Delhi on Monday, party sources said. “It is likely that Kumaraswamy will extend JDS support to BJP on the quota bill,” said a leader.
“It was former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda who ensured a 4% quota to Muslims under 2B for education and employment. But the community has distanced itself from our party in the elections. We will decide on our stand on the latest quota bill after discussions with Gowda and Kumaraswamy on Monday,” JDS Legislature Party leader CB Suresh Babu told The New Indian Express.
He said JDS will demand that the quota be extended to the backward classes, including Madivala and Uppara communities.
The Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements (Amendment) Bill, 2025 to provide 4% quota was passed by the Karnataka legislature on Friday. Terming it a Congress government move to appease the minorities, a delegation of BJP, led by Assembly opposition leader R Ashoka, met Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot and complained that the bill is unconstitutional. JDLP leader Suresh Babu too was part of the delegation.
