Home Articles Horatti must immediately resign as head of K’taka Legislative Council: Hariprasad
Highlights
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Bengaluru: Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Council B K Hariprasad on Thursday termed Upper House Chairman Basavaraj Horatti’s recent announcement to join the BJP, even before quitting the constitutional post, as a “fraud on the Constitution” and demanded the latter’s immediate resignation.
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The Congress leader said this conduct of the Chairman comes under the ambit of the anti-defection law.
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Horatti on Tuesday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah here, and said he would join the BJP soon.
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“Horatti is occupying a constitutional post, it has come in the media that he has met Amit Shah and has said that he will be joining BJP. No one expected such a stand by Horatti who is senior and has a long experience…before coming to such a decision he could have conducted himself in a manner that safeguards the dignity of the post he is holding,” Hariprasad said.
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Speaking to reporters here, the Congress leader said, as a Chairman, Horatti’s conduct of meeting Shah with an intention to join the BJP is a “fraud on the Constitution”.
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“…a person is free to join any party, but after the anti-defection law came into effect, anyone (elected representative) joining the other party or making such a statement, comes under the ambit of the 10th Schedule. He has said that he will resign as Chairman on May 11 and join BJP, it is against the constitution,” he added.
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Horatti is likely to be the BJP’s candidate for the upcoming MLC polls from West Teachers’ constituency.
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Demanding the immediate resignation of Horatti for “fraud on the Constitution” while holding a constitutional post, Hariprasad said being in such a post, he should conduct and speak in accordance with the Constitution.
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“He should resign immediately to safeguard the dignity of the Upper House, because as Chairman he should be non-partisan, but while holding the post announcing that he will join the BJP is a big mistake,” he said.
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Horatti, who was elected as MLC seven successive times from 1980, has ended his long association with the JD(S).
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Considered to be among the senior-most MLCs, 76-year-old Horatti was seen as a prominent Lingayat face of the JD(S) from north Karnataka. He had been education minister in the state, and was elected as the Chairman of the Legislative Council in February 2021.