Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday lauded the Karnataka government’s decision of scrapping the four per cent reservation for Muslims under 2B Other Backward Classes (OBCs) category and said that Congress implemented the policy for polarisation.
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Speaking at India Rising Summit, the BJP leader exuded confidence that the party will emerge victorious with a majority.
“I agree, we got a bit late doing it (scrapping reservation for Muslims). Reservation on the basis of religion is illegal and it is not in the constitution. There cannot be any reservation based on religion. Congress did it for polarisation and we corrected it,” Shah said while commenting on CM Basavaraj Bommai government’s latest decision.
The BJP government last week decided to move Muslims out of the OBC list and put them under the 10 per cent EWS quota. The 4 per cent reservation that Muslims had (under OBC list) will be distributed among Vokkaligas and Lingayats equally.
Shah also said the BJP will return to power in Karnataka with an absolute majority and the elected MLAs will choose the chief minister.
“The party has not decided on this yet, it will be decided by the party. Bommai is our CM and he is doing good work,” the BJP leader said when asked to comment on the party’s CM face for polls.
He highlighted that former chief minister BS Yediyurappa will be a star campaigner.
The Election Commission announced earlier on Wednesday that Karnataka Assembly elections will be held in a single phase on May 10 and the votes will be counted on May 13, setting the stage for a key BJP versus Congress electoral fight ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha showdown.
“The BJP will definitely cross the halfway mark and form the government with an absolute majority in Karnataka. We will win record mandate,” Shah said. “The BJP has never questioned the seniority of Yediyurappa. He will be the star campaigner. Elected MLAs will decide their leader,” he added.
Shah also ruled out the possibility of any electoral alliance in Karnataka.
The BJP emerged as the largest party in the 2018 Karnataka elections but was short of the majority, following which the Janata Dal (Secular) and the Congress joined hands to form the government with JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy becoming CM.
But it formed the government in July 2019 with the help of 17 Congress and JD(S) MLAs who resigned and joined forces with the BJP.
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