Karnataka Council chair row: Basavaraj Horatti says Shivakumar asked him to resign
Karnataka Legislative Council Chairman Basavaraj Horatti on Tuesday said Chief Minister D K Shivakumar had called him and asked him to resign from the post
Karnataka Legislative Council Chairman Basavaraj Horatti on Tuesday said Chief Minister D K Shivakumar had called him and asked him to resign from the post. Horatti said he would discuss the matter with BJP and JD(S) leaders before taking a decision. He also said the chairman of the Legislative Council and the Speaker of the Assembly can be chosen only by the House, and not by the high command of a political party. His remarks came after the Congress high command approved Saleem Ahmed as its nominee for chairman of the state Legislative Council and Umashree for deputy chairperson.
Read Full Story The approvals were conveyed in a letter sent to Shivakumar on Monday, along with the list of ministers who were sworn in the same day. The party also cleared the names of G S Patil as its nominee for the post of Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly and A S Ponnanna for deputy speaker. "The chief minister called me and requested that I resign and cooperate to prevent embarrassment, as the party has sent the name (for the new chairman).... I will discuss this with opposition leaders and decide," Horatti told reporters. Horatti, an eight-time MLC, has his current term till July 2028.
Questioning the announcement by the party, Horatti said, "This is probably for the first time I have seen a party declaring the chairperson of the legislative council. I'm not sure how they are doing it. It is not good in democracy." He said the chairman of the council and the speaker of the assembly could only be elected by the House. Explaining the process for his removal, Horatti said, "To remove the chairman, ten members must give 14 days' advance notice, to move the no-confidence motion. Based on the discussion in the House the matter will be decided," and added that the decision of the House was supreme in the matter.
He also said no chairperson had been made to resign since 1956 and that all had completed their terms. According to Horatti, there were no grounds to remove him. In the 75-member Legislative Council, the Congress has 38 members, the BJP 24 and the JD(S) 6. There is one Independent member and one chairman, while five seats are vacant. The row over Horatti's continuation has come after the Congress named its candidates for the top posts in both Houses. Ends
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