Bengaluru: At a time when it has cited an “empty treasury” for slowing or shelving several welfare programmes, the Karnataka government has decided to spend about Rs 450 crore on a fresh caste census — a move that has set off a major political storm in the state.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s administration, which has repeatedly accused the Centre of withholding Karnataka’s share of revenue, has cleared funds for the largescale survey beginning September 22.
About 1.65 lakh enumerators will visit nearly two crore households over 15 days to gather data on caste composition. The initiative is being closely linked to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s push for a caste-based headcount.
Officials said the project was initially estimated at Rs 600 crore but was revised down to around Rs 425–450 crore after scrutiny.
Commission chairperson Madhusudanan Nayak said the new census would adopt more scientific methods and produce accurate figures, unlike earlier surveys whose data had become outdated.
The BJP has severely criticised the plan, alleging both financial misuse and political intent. State party president Vijayendra Yediyurappa said Siddaramaiah had already wasted Rs 165 crore by using the decade-old Kantharaju Commission report as a political tool without releasing it.
“Now, they want to survey seven crore people in just 15 days by spending another Rs 450 crore — this is a complete abuse of taxpayers’ money,” he charged.
Senior BJP leader R Ashoka described the initiative as a bid to create a Muslim vote bank, while union Minister HD Kumaraswamy labelled it a “hate census” aimed at dividing society along caste lines.
The saffron party also argued that only the union government is authorised to conduct a caste census, and called for any such exercise to be done scientifically, with IT tools and a review of earlier reports.
The state government has defended its decision, saying the Kantharaju Commission’s 2015 survey is nearly a decade old and no longer reflects ground realities.
Officials maintain that fresh, detailed data is necessary to shape welfare policies, update reservation formulas, and deliver targeted benefits to backward classes. Congress leaders insist the census is an essential step in Rahul Gandhi’s “caste census guarantee,” intended to strengthen social justice.
The earlier survey had sparked debate by putting Lingayat numbers at 9.8 per cent and Vokkaligas at 8.2 per cent — much lower than popular estimates. It had also estimated Other Backward Classes at 70 per cent and recommended 51 per cent reservation, a suggestion dismissed for lack of scientific rigour.
The Siddaramaiah government says the new enumeration will ensure precision and transparency.
Political observers note that the controversy blends issues of finance, social equity, and electoral strategy. While the Congress seeks to project the exercise as a progressive measure, the opposition is portraying it as reckless spending and divisive politics at a time when inflation, law-and-order concerns, and development gaps dominate public discourse.
The caste survey is expected to conclude by October 7, and its findings are likely to shape Karnataka’s policy debates for years to come.
