Congress's OBC Panel Bets Big On Caste Census Narrative, Siddaramaiah At Bengaluru Meeting

Last Updated:July 16, 2025, 20:24 IST

Calling Rahul Gandhi a 'Nyaya Yoddha', the OBC Advisory Council passed a 3-point resolution that the Congress hopes will define its social justice pitch ahead of the Bihar polls

For Siddaramaiah, the meeting was also a personal win, protecting his position as a strong OBC face of the Congress, especially at a time when his leadership is under scrutiny within the Karnataka unit. Pic/PTI

The All India Congress Committee (AICC)’s OBC Advisory Council meeting in Bengaluru on Wednesday saw some major messaging—both ahead of the Bihar elections and as a strong show of support for Siddaramaiah as Karnataka’s chief minister. By the end of the one-and-a-half-day meet, the message was loud and clear: the Congress wants to reclaim its Other Backward Classes (OBC) base, push the Centre for a caste census, and back Rahul Gandhi’s “jitni aabadi, utna haq" (rights proportionate to population) campaign.

Calling Rahul Gandhi a “Nyaya Yoddha" (Justice Warrior), the council passed what’s now being referred to as the Bengaluru Declaration—a three-point resolution that the party hopes will define its social justice pitch in the run-up to the Bihar polls.

Siddaramaiah also consolidated his position as a prominent OBC leader during the meeting. When asked about a possible leadership change in Karnataka, AICC OBC wing chairman Anil Jaihind dismissed any such speculation: “There is no such proposal. Siddaramaiah is our only OBC chief minister, and we all support him."

The most significant demand in the Bengaluru Declaration was a national-level caste census, to be conducted officially by the Census Commission of India (ORGI). The council said the exercise must go beyond enumeration and include social, economic, educational, employment, and political details, using the Telangana Socio-Educational-Employment-Economic-Political-Caste (SEEEPC) survey model as a reference.

Siddaramaiah reminded delegates that Karnataka had already carried out a similar survey under the Kantharaju Commission, initiated in 2015 during his first term and submitted only in 2024. It has since been pushed into cold storage, dismissed as “dated". But the Congress government has now ordered a fresh survey, expected to be completed by October this year.

“There must be a fight for 75% reservation or proportional representation based on actual data," Siddaramaiah told the leaders. “We must demand political representation and economic justice—including reservation in private sector jobs, promotions, contracts, schemes, and market access."

The second resolution called for breaking the 50% cap on reservations, echoing Rahul Gandhi’s statement last year that the ceiling is “arbitrary" and an obstacle to justice. Gandhi has publicly committed to removing the ceiling through legislation, calling it “necessary to protect the Constitution".

The council also backed Gandhi’s criticism that the history of Dalits and backward communities is being erased from school textbooks. Leaders agreed that states must support his push if the Congress wants to “grow and survive".

The third resolution called for enforcing reservation in private educational institutions as per Article 15(5) of the Constitution.

Siddaramaiah also used the platform to hit out at the BJP and the Sangh Parivar. “They polarise India through caste. We will unite India through the Constitution. They treat OBCs as mere symbols. We uplift them as equals," he said. “Every time the Congress brings in a policy for justice, the BJP resists it, not just politically, but ideologically. Because they are uncomfortable with genuine backward class advancement."

He also reminded the party that “AHINDA is not a vote bank. It is the voice of India’s conscience."

Congress insiders say the entire OBC push—including the Bengaluru Declaration—is part of a larger strategy: to win back OBC votes, revive leadership from within the community, and position the Congress as the party of social justice.

For Siddaramaiah, the meeting was also a personal win, protecting his position as a strong OBC face of the Congress, especially at a time when his leadership is under scrutiny within the Karnataka unit.

The party also acknowledged that OBC support has steadily drifted to the BJP over the decades and agreed it was time to confront that truth. Leaders discussed rebuilding ground support and learning from past missteps.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, however, hit back sharply.

Karnataka BJP president BY Vijayendra called the entire exercise a “Bihar election gimmick" and challenged the Congress to declare Mallikarjun Kharge as its prime ministerial candidate if it truly cared about backward classes.

“They won’t—because Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi will never allow it," he said.

He also ridiculed Siddaramaiah’s social justice pitch, recalling how the Rs 165-crore Kantharaju report was shelved allegedly “after a phone call from Delhi and advice from Rahul Gandhi."

“Where was your concern for the backward classes then?" he asked.

Despite the BJP’s criticism, the Congress is betting big on the caste census narrative. With 42 top leaders in attendance, including Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chiefs, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leaders and former chief ministers, the Bengaluru Declaration is being positioned as the party’s blueprint for its social justice campaign—and a key roadmap for reclaiming lost political ground in the upcoming elections.

Rohini Swamy

Rohini Swamy, Associate Editor at News18, has been a journalist for nearly two decades in the television and digital space. She covers south India for News18’s digital platform. She has previously worked with t...Read More

Rohini Swamy, Associate Editor at News18, has been a journalist for nearly two decades in the television and digital space. She covers south India for News18’s digital platform. She has previously worked with t...

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