The recommendations of the Ranganath Mishra Commission will not be accepted altogether as promised, nor will any legislation or executive order be issued for the reservation. The reservation for all listed OBC categories — which comprise 51 backward castes among Hindus and 12 among Muslims — will be increased to 17 per cent from the current 7 per cent.

Three more backward castes from the Muslim community are waiting for enrollment, said sources in the Backward Class Welfare Department.

Md. Selim, chairman of the Minority Development and Finance Corporation and convener of CPM minority cell, admitted that the Mishra Commission recommendation has scope for declaring the entire Muslim community as backward. But the government will not follow it and instead, identify the backward classes among Muslims.

Selim said it is not possible for the government to declare the entire community as backward and neither did the chief minister say so. “Our objective is to support people who are backward socially and economically,” he said. “The backward section of the Muslim community will be identified and will enjoy reservation status. For declaring the community backward as a whole, a committee will be set up along with experts and social scientists. This cannot be done in a hurry.”

Abdur Rezzak Mollah, state Land Reforms minister and a member of Selim-led Minority Cell, said this cannot be called a reservation for Muslim community. The 12 backward castes represent 16 per cent of total Muslim population.

“I have a rough calculation that if 20 more castes are being identified as backward castes, 40 per cent of the entire Muslim population will be covered,” said Mollah.

“This is not reservation for Muslims, this can help poorest of the poor, not the entire community,” said Mollah. “All OBCs, be they Hindu or Muslim, will enjoy 17 per cent reservation jointly,” he added.

Sources in the CPM said initially the party leaders were confused following pressure from Left Front allies and Muslim organisations.