Amid leadership change developments, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah receives the caste survey report

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will receive the socio-educational survey report on 27 May 2026. Photo credit: Special arrangement

Amid rapid developments regarding a possible leadership transition, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday evening received the much-awaited Socio-Educational Survey (Caste Census) report from the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes.

This takes on special significance in light of Mr. Siddaramaiah’s legacy as a senior leader of the OBC bloc and the report, which is seen as part of his legacy. The report is also expected to put pressure on the Congress, which has been fighting for OBC reservation and has been pressuring the NDA-led Center to include caste enumeration as part of the General Census.

In a short time

Sources privy to the development told The Hindu that the committee members held a meeting at short notice on Wednesday morning to discuss and finalize the report. By evening, committee chairman Madhusudan R. Naik, accompanied by committee members, submitted the report to the chief minister, who came to receive it at his office in Vidhan Soudha.

The survey, conducted in 2025 at an estimated cost of ₹635 million, covered nearly 5.9 million of the then estimated population of 6.26 million in Karnataka. As many as 54 questions were part of the survey, which was also boycotted by some sections and saw the intervention of the Karnataka High Court.

Burden of implementation

Government sources said the burden of implementing the report will now rest on the Congress government, which has a little less than two years left in its term. “The cabinet will have to discuss it and decide how to proceed. It may decide to take it to the legislature and also allow for public consultation and feedback,” the sources said, adding that Mr Siddaramaiah received the report to ensure his legacy and so that the party and future leaders could be held accountable for its implementation.

According to sources, discussions on accepting the survey report came up in the last cabinet when several ministers asked the chief minister about the survey report. They expressed concern that once the national survey begins, it will lose relevance.

Earlier message

This is the report of the second survey conducted by the committee headed by Mr. Naik. An earlier survey conducted by the H. Kantharaj Commission in 2015 and reported by the Jayaprakash Hegde-led commission in 2024 was shelved on the grounds that it was “outdated data”. The first poll was against people in the Siddaramaiah-led cabinet, including Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and Industries Minister MB Patil, who belong to the Vokkaliga and Lingayat communities. Incidentally, Mr. Shivakumar is now the strongest contender to succeed Mr. Siddaramaiah in the event of a transition of power in Karnataka.

Nationally, Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi has been pushing for a caste survey and greater reservation for OBCs, while the commission’s report has been under fire in Karnataka. The rejection came from the dominant Vokkaliga and Veerashaiva-Lingayat communities, who, in a bid for a “fresh scientific survey”, forced Mr. Siddaramaiah to shelve the first report. The poll will potentially weigh heavily on the Congress government, with conflicting caste interests from within and without.

Also read | Nothing wrong in conducting caste census, every govt of the day should know who is backward, says SC

Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah receives caste survey report

Amid rapid developments over a possible leadership transition, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday (May 27, 2026) evening received the highly anticipated Karnataka Socio-Economic and Educational Survey (Caste Survey) report by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes. | Video Credit: The Hindu

Published – 27 May 2026 18:55 IST