Chief minister DK Shivakumar met with his predecessor Siddaramaiah at Kaveri Niwas in Bengaluru and discussed political and party events
Bengaluru: Former chief minister Siddaramaiah ’s fresh call for 75% reservation for Dalits, backward classes and minorities has thrust Ahinda, the social coalition that shaped his political career, back at the centre of Karnataka politics.
“Even if he does not contest in 2028, he remains a major campaigner whose endorsement can influence candidate selection and the party’s social coalition,” he said recalling that in 2018 and 2023 too, Siddaramaiah had hinted at quitting electoral politics before returning to become CM again. “Though age is not on his side, his intention is,” Maramkal said, adding that the 75% figure may face constitutional hurdles, but its political message is what matters. The demand also revives Siddaramaiah’s older battle over caste data, which he has long argued is essential for meaningful social justice. Before stepping down, he held a cabinet meeting to approve the caste report to ensure Shivakumar takes it forward, but the current CM appears less than keen on it.
It is significant since Siddaramaiah has said he will not contest in 2028 but will stay active in public life.
Political strategist MB Maramkal said Siddaramaiah’s continued engagement with Dalit and backward-class groups carries weight. He has spoken about Ahinda and social justice for decades, so to read every such statement as a comeback attempt would be wrong,” Patil said, adding that the party’s commitment to Ahinda goes beyond individuals. At a Karnataka State Backward Castes Federation event Sunday, Siddaramaiah argued that reservation should reflect the population share of disadvantaged communities. He demanded that the caste survey report be published and implemented and stretched his argument beyond jobs and education to seek proportional political representation in Parliament and the state assembly. Observers read the fresh Ahinda mobilisation as an assertion that his base cannot simply be handed over to another, with a recent backward classes gathering seen as being built around him and his demand for greater representation. However, not everyone reads a comeback bid into the move. MN Patil, another analyst, insisted there was nothing tactical about the intervention. “The Siddaramaiah era ended the day he made way for Shivakumar.