In the wake of Union government clarifying that there was no proposal to increase the 50% ceiling on reservation, Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines Pralhad Joshi has said he will comment on the issue only after thoroughly examining the reply given in Parliament.
He was replying to a query by presspersons in Hubballi regarding the impact on the State government’s decision to hike the SC/ST reservation by breaching the 50% ceiling. Mr. Joshi said he had seen the Union government’s reply in Rajya Sabha and would comment after a detailed study.
The revised reservation matrix in Karnataka that increases the quota for Scheduled Castes to 17% and Scheduled Tribes to 7%, taking the total reservation to 56%, had come into effect last month after the Governor gave a nod to the ordinance to this effect.
On whether there would be any Cabinet expansion with only a few months left for the election, Mr. Joshi the expansion would be at the discretion of the chief minister.
To a query on BJP taking history-sheeters into its fold, Mr. Joshi lambasted the Congress party leaders saying they had no moral right to speak on the issue as the latter had made a murder accused the Youth Congress President.
Meanwhile, the residence of Mr. Joshi has been witnessing a huge crowd as BJP ticket aspirants from North Karnataka are flocking to his house in Hubballi with a plea for party ticket. Leaders accompanied by their followers were seen in large number at his residence on Saturday.
