Efforts on to convince Horatti to step down
With Congress naming its senior leader Saleem Ahmed as the candidate for Chairman of the Karnataka Legislative Council, efforts are on to convince Council Chairman
With Congress naming its senior leader Saleem Ahmed as the candidate for Chairman of the Karnataka Legislative Council, efforts are on to convince Council Chairman Basavaraj Horatti to step down. On Thursday, Mr. Horatti, who is learnt to be upset, said that he is yet to decide on his next move and said that Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar had asked him to step down. Coming amid criticism from the BJP over the manner in which Mr. Horatti is being cornered, the Chief Minister met Mr. Horatti late on Wednesday night to request him to step down to prevent any showdown in the House when the Monsoon Session of the State Legislature commences on August 13.
The BJP took exception to the fact that Mr. Horatti went to the Chief Minister’s residence during which time nearly half a dozen Cabinet Ministers were present along with some legislators. Horatti told The Hindu that he is yet to decide on tendering his resignation from the post. He said he had met the Chief Minister at his residence on Wednesday night, during which the latter asked him for the second time to resign. “I have told him that I will ponder over it and sought time till August 14 to inform him of my decision.
I will consult my colleagues and then decide,” he said, adding that the Chief Minister had also spoken to him on the issue on August 4. Government sources said the Chief Minister told Mr. Horatti that the Congress had not pressed him to resign earlier, even though the party had the numbers in the House. Incidentally, the Congress has secured a clear majority in the House following its victories in recent elections. The party’s strength is set to increase to 43 with four government-nominated seats still lying vacant. Congress member A.V. Gayatri Shanthegowda is scheduled to take oath on Friday.
“He told the Council Chairman that he respected his seniority and experience. The government did not want to move a no-confidence motion against him, considering that he is the senior-most member of the House. However, there was pressure within the party too to accommodate aspiring leaders,” a source said.
The BriefWire