JD(S) leader elected chairperson of Karnataka legislative council

Basavaraj Horatti got elected unanimously with the backing of the BJP and the Congress did not even field a candidate

Published on: Feb 9, 2021, 13:27:56 IST

By Sharan Poovanna

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Basavaraj Horatti, a senior member of the Janata Dal (Secular) or JD(S) on Tuesday was elected the chairperson of the Karnataka legislative council with the backing of the Bharatiya Janata State (BJP) even as the Congress stood in the well of the House in protest.

JD(S) leader and former Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy. (HT file photo)

The process of elections was not followed since the Congress did not participate. Deputy chairman MK Pranesh said Horatti was elected unanimously since the Congress did not even field a candidate.

The developments come days after the BJP and JD(S) formalised their alliance in the Upper House of the legislature to first elect Pranesh as deputy chairman and then remove Congress’s Pratapchandra Shetty to take control of the council where they do not have a majority on their own.

The BJP has 31 members in the council, JD(S) has 11 and the Congress has 28 members in the Upper House. The BJP had allied with the JD(S) with whom it has shared a tempestuous relationship to muster support for easy passage of bills and retain a majority in both the Houses of the legislature.

Also Read | PM Modi offered me chief ministership for 5 years if JD(S) allied with BJP: Kumaraswamy

The contentious anti-cattle slaughter bill was passed on Monday amid ruckus in the council. Though the JD(S) were also protesting against the bill, the deputy chairman passed the bill through a voice vote and rejected demands for a division of votes.

However, people aware of the developments said that the JD(S) would not object to the bill due to the new alliance with which the two parties hope to gain against their common rival, the Congress. The JD(S) has tried to maintain that the party had only extended an “issue-based support”.

Former prime minister HD Deve Gowda and former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy-led JD(S) is the only major political outfit in the state that has allied with both the Congress and BJP in the past.

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