Bengaluru: The Karnataka government, led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, has introduced a 4% reservation for Muslims in civil contracts, a move seen as both a political strategy and an effort towards social justice. Announced during the Rs. 4.09 lakh crore state budget presentation on March 7, the reservation falls under Category 2B of the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement (KTPP) Act, 1999, benefiting Muslim contractors and suppliers for government projects below Rs. 2 crore.
The Congress-led government, which has historically relied on the AHINDA vote bank (minorities, backward classes, and Dalits), aims to amend the KTPP Act in the current budget session. The Finance Department has prepared a blueprint, with Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K. Patil approving the amendment.
Political Reactions and BJP’s Opposition
The move has sparked criticism from the BJP, which labeled the budget as “Halal Budget” and accused Congress of appeasement politics. BJP state president B.Y. Vijayendra argued that the Congress government was dividing society based on religion and ignoring other marginalized communities. The BJP also raised concerns over transparency and constitutional validity, demanding an inclusive reservation policy for all minorities.
Congress leaders, including Rizwan Arshad, defended the move, questioning why only Muslim reservations were viewed as appeasement, while SC/ST and OBC quotas were accepted.
With Karnataka already reserving 43% of civil work contracts for SCs, STs, and OBCs, the new 4% Muslim quota will push the total reservation to 47%. The Opposition warns that this could lead to political backlash, while the Congress insists it is a progressive step towards empowerment
