GULBARGA: Former Chief Minister and president of the Samajwadi Party S. Bangarappa on Tuesday suggested a formula to end the current anti-reservation agitation. He said the percentage of reservation should be increased and reservation should be introduced for poor sections among the upper castes.

Addressing a press conference here, Mr. Bangarappa said the Union Government had amended the Constitution to include Tamil Nadu in Schedule 9 of the Constitution to protect the reservation percentage of 67 in that State after the Supreme Court had limited the percentage for reservation in employment and education, for all communities including Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, at 50.

He said the same principle should be adopted by the Government for all States by increasing the percentage of reservation to 67. The entire country could be brought under Schedule 9 of the Constitution, he added.

A portion of reservation should be provided for the poor among the upper castes and the remaining should be for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and OBCs.

Supporting the demand for reservation for OBCs in educational institutions and in employment, Mr. Bangarappa said he was also in favour of the demand for reservation for poor people from upper castes.

Referring to the current agitation by medical students against reservation for OBCs in institutes of higher education, he said the protestors should know that the Constitution had provided for reservation for OBCs and no Government had made a sincere attempt to implement this.

On the current political situation in the country, Mr. Bangarappa said the good performance by Left parties in West Bengal and Kerala had strengthened the hands of political forces trying to forge a third front as an alternative to the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Mr. Bangarappa said the Left parties and the Samajwadi Party would play a crucial role in forging such an alliance.

Mr. Bangarappa said in the event of Left parties withdrawing support to the United Progressive Alliance, a third front comprising Left parties and like-minded political forces would try to form the government at the Centre.

He did not rule out the possibility of parties such as the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) supporting the third front in the event of the fall of the UPA Government.

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