Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah on Saturday held talks with a backward classes delegation on mounting pressure on the government to accept the socio-economic survey, which is better known as the caste census.
The delegation that met Siddaramaiah consisted of former backward classes commission chairpersons C S Dwarakanath and H Kantharaj, MLC P R Ramesh, former MLC M C Venugopal, former Kannada Development Authority chairperson Mukhyamantri Chandru, Kurubara Sangha general secretary D Venkatesh Murthy and others.
The caste census, officially the Social and Educational Survey 2015, was commissioned by the then Siddaramaiah-led Congress government. The report of the census, on which the state government has spent about Rs 167 crore, is currently with the Karnataka State Backward Classes Commission.
The report is yet to be made public as successive governments are said to be wary of a backlash from upper castes whose numerical strength may get altered.
According to sources, Siddaramaiah is planning to take this up in a big way. He will soon write to Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, urging him to accept the caste census report. He is also discussing a massive rally in favour of the caste census, sources said.
By doing this, Siddaramaiah, a Kuruba, will look to consolidate the Ahinda, the Kannada acronym for minorities, backward classes and Dalits.