DKS meets Vokkaliga MLAs as row heats up

Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar on Tuesday met with Vokkaliga legislators from the Congress to discuss the contentious caste survey following concerns raised by the community over the survey reportedly shaking up the caste matrix in the state.

- Naheed Ataulla

NEW DELHI: Why did Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah decide to go public with the caste survey a decade after it was conducted? This question has been the source of much speculation not just in the state where most politicians, including from his own party, the Congress, are perturbed by the findings, but also in national political circles. Congress insiders say the chief minister's sudden decision to release the report may have something to do with Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's 11 glowing references to Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy in his 40-minute speech at a recent meeting.

The speech had no reference to Siddaramaiah, they added.