Special Cabinet on internal quota deferred due to model code of conduct

The much-anticipated Special Cabinet meeting to iron out differences over internal reservation among 101 Scheduled Castes, which was to be held on Friday, has been postponed to beyond April 9. The decision came after Advocate-General Shashi Kiran Shetty advised that any decision to be taken would be in violation of the model code of conduct (MCC) in place due to byelections to the Bagalkot and Davangere South Assembly seats to be held on April 9.

Informal discussions

Soon after the regular Cabinet on Thursday, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah held an informal meeting with Ministers from Dalit Right and Dalit Left communities, where Minister K.H. Muniyappa, who belongs to Dalit Left, is learnt to have brought pressure to hold the meeting.

Eventually, it was decided to postpone the Special Cabinet meeting to beyond April 9 when the voting for the bypolls would get over.

“The Cabinet decided that in view of the MCC, the Special Cabinet [meeting] will have to be deferred. Though there was scope for discussion, what is the use when a decision cannot be made?” Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K. Patil told presspersons on Thursday.

The Special Cabinet meeting had been called to decide on internal reservation within the 15% quota for SCs as the State government has initiated recruitment process to fill 56,432 posts. While the Dalit Left communities are seeking internal reservation within the 15%, the Dalit Right and “touchable” SC communities are opposed to it.

Different notes

Meanwhile, Cabinet Ministers struck different notes on the internal reservation in recruitment. While Mr. Patil said that the recruitment process would continue as per the notification (for 15% reservation and without internal reservation), Mr. Muniyappa said that recruitment would not take place without internal reservation. According to Mr. Muniyappa, owing to MCC, recruitment notifications could not be issued.

Stating that the government was committed to implementing internal reservation, Mr. Muniyappa appealed to community leaders not to start any agitation till the Cabinet met again to decide the issue. “There is no point in taking a decision on internal reservation that can be stuck down by the Election Commission. I have also spoken to the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar on the issue. We will get proportionate reservation in sub-classification,” he said.