Facing scrutiny over the alleged Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam, the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in Karnataka is considering the release of the state’s caste census report, officially titled the Socioeconomic and Educational Census. A Congress legislator has even proposed that the report should be made public, regardless of the potential risks to the government.

On Monday, 30 legislators representing Other Backward Classes (OBC) met with Siddaramaiah to demand that the report be presented in the upcoming Assembly session and subsequently implemented.

As calls to release the report gain traction, the internal divisions within the Congress party are coming to the forefront once again. Congress MLC B K Hariprasad, who attended the meeting, noted that the Chief Minister himself mentioned the report during a speech in Raichur on Saturday. He stated that the government should disclose the report, even if it jeopardizes its stability. “If you’re worried that the government might fall if the report is accepted, let it happen… No other parties have shown the willingness to address this issue. The responsibility to accept the report lies with the Siddaramaiah government,” he remarked.

On Saturday, Siddaramaiah indicated that the groundbreaking survey conducted in Karnataka would be discussed in the Cabinet meeting scheduled for October 18.

While some Congress leaders, including Home Minister G Parameshwara, are taking a more cautious stance—emphasizing that the Cabinet will first deliberate on the matter before deciding whether to present the report in the Assembly—Karnataka PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi has advocated for tabling the report, arguing that a thorough discussion would help address any shortcomings.

For Siddaramaiah, presenting the caste census report could strengthen his counter-narrative against the BJP and JD(S.), who are perceived to be attempting to unseat him as a leader from a Backward Class community. Additionally, the Chief Minister aims to solidify his legacy in a manner akin to that of the state’s prominent OBC leader and former Congress Chief Minister Devaraj Urs.

The report, submitted by a committee led by Karnataka State Backward Class Commission Chairman K Jayprakash Hegde in February, has exposed rifts within the Congress party. Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, representing the Vokkaliga community, had signed a petition against the report following objections from the Vokkaligara Sangha and the All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha, both of which criticized the caste survey as “unscientific” and “inaccurate.”

If party leaders advocating for the report’s release push too aggressively, they risk alienating both the Vokkaligas and the Lingayats, the two most influential communities in Karnataka. However, withholding the report may weaken Siddaramaiah’s standing among the groups that contributed to his second term in office.

The renewed push to present the report has attracted criticism from opposition parties, including the Janata Dal (Secular) and the BJP, who have labeled it a “gimmick” aimed at diverting attention from the government’s failings.

Union Minister and JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy referred to the initiative as a “drama,” while state BJP chief B Y Vijayendra accused Siddaramaiah of playing an “emotional card” and highlighted that some Congress leaders have dismissed the report as “unscientific.”

“The government resorts to tactics that divert public attention whenever faced with serious allegations… In light of the MUDA scam, they are discussing the caste census to obscure their misdeeds,” Kumaraswamy asserted.

The caste census in Karnataka was initially initiated by a panel headed by H Kantharaj during Siddaramaiah’s first term in 2014, costing Rs 169 crore. The report, which faced numerous delays, was submitted in 2018 but was neither accepted nor made public.