The leaders of Panchamasali community, including legislators of both Congress and BJP as well as Ministers, met in Belagavi on Wednesday, December 6, to chalk out plans to take the demand of the community to be included in 2A category for reservation to backward classes to the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
It is learnt that the meeting was attended, among others, by Women and Child Welfare Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar and Textiles and Sugar Minister Shivanand Patil. While Panchamasali leader in BJP Basannagouda Patil Yatnal did not attend the meeting, his party colleagues, including Arvind Bellad, took part in the discussions, sources said.
Entry into central OBC list
A Congress legislator, who took part in the meeting, said they had asked for time from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to discuss their issues. “Though the chief minister had promised to hold a meeting of our community leaders with the Chairman of Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes K. Jayaprakash Hegde, that meeting has not happened so far,” the legislator said. Besides the 2A category status, the community is seeking entry into the central OBC list, the legislator said.
Vexed issue
It is learnt that the community leaders, especially in the Congress, are anxious about meeting with the chief minister to send a message across to the community ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. The vexed issue of reservation for Panchamsalis, a land-owning community, was further complicated by the BJP government during the last winter session at Belagavi. In a bid to woo Lingayat voters, the government announced separate categories for Vokkaligas and Veerashaiva-Lingayats to include Panchamsalis in the OBC reservation matrix.
