What explains Congress' stance on Panchamasali quota demand?

The ruling Congress' handling of protests by Panchamasali-Lingayats demanding greater reservation benefits can be understood in the light of a few concerns.

- Maqsood Myar

Panchamasalis, a Lingayat sub-sect, claim to account for 60 per cent of the community. Under the leadership of seer Basavajaya Mrutunjaya Swamy, they are demanding they be shifted from the Other Backward Classes (OBC) 3B sub-category under which they get five per cent reservation along with other Lingayats, to 2A sub-category which would afford them 15 per cent quota.

On the eve of the Assembly polls in March 2023, former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had abolished the 2B sub-category which grants Muslims four per cent quota, and distributed it equally among the newly created sub-categories namely 2C for Vokkaligas and 2D for Lingayats. The seer agreed to the solution and called off protests.

However, the Supreme Court stayed the order a month later forcing the Bommai government to hold off.