Bengaluru, 4 March

Karnataka BJP President BY Vijayendra on Wednesday urged the Congress government to fill vacancies by considering internal reservation among SCs.  The government should not cite court-related technicalities as an excuse, he said, warning that the BJP would launch an intense agitation otherwise.

The State government decided to conduct recruitment for 56,432 vacant jobs based on the reservation order in force before 28 December 2022 (15 per cent for SCs and 3 per cent for STs), due to the stay on the enhanced quota and internal reservation, while continuing to pursue its case in court.

The previous BJP government had increased the reservation quota for SCs from 15 per cent to 17 per cent and for Scheduled Tribes from 3 per cent to 7 per cent, raising the State's total reservation to 56 per cent, exceeding the Supreme Court-mandated 50 per cent ceiling.

While this is still in court, the Congress government decided to provide internal reservation within the 17 per cent quota for SCs based on the 6:6:5 formula.

Vijayendra said, "Whether you fill over 50,000 vacant posts or 1 lakh posts is up to you. We demand to fill all vacant posts."

Protests on Budget Day

Vijayendra said that a series of protests will begin in Bengaluru from 6 March, when the State legislature's Budget session starts, criticising the government for failing to fulfil its promises. The protest would range from Anganwadi and ASHA workers to contractors and transport corporations' employees, he said, noting that the government hospital doctors.