Congress objects, but Horatti is Chairman of Karnataka Legislature

KEY STORY

• BENGALURU: JDS MLC Basavaraj Horatti was on Tuesday elected chairman of the 75-member Upper House of the Karnataka Legislature.

• The election lasted minutes, with Congress candidate MLC Naseer Ahmed pulling out at the last minute as he did not have the numbers. When Deputy Chairman M K Pranesh called for an election, Congress members protested loudly.

• MLCs M Narayanswamy, B K Hariprasad and Naseer Ahmed claimed that the House was not in order and the election should not be allowed.

• They also rushed into the well of the House to object to the passing of the Anti-Cow Slaughter Bill without division. But the chair overruled their objection, and said the election was listed on the agenda.

• As the Congress kept up loud protestations, K V Narayana Swamy proposed the candidature of Horatti for chairman, while K T Srikante Gowda approved it.

• N Appaji Gowda was the second proposer, and K A Thippe Swamy approved it. Horatti was escorted to the Chairman’s seat, as Pranesh and BJP House leader K Srinivas Poojary welcomed him.

• Later, Home and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Basavaraj Bommai lauded Horatti. Congress candidate Naseer Ahmed’s name was proposed by M Narayanswamy and approved by R Prasanna Kumar, while Hariprasad seconded his candidature and Aravind Kumar Arali approved it.