On Friday, Congress MLA G.S. Patil was elected as the new Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly in Bengaluru, while the opposition boycotted the proceedings. Meanwhile, Congress MLC Saleem Ahmed was elected Chairman of the Legislative Council, defeating NDA candidate P.H. Pujar by eight votes. The elections were marked by protests from the opposition, with the BJP alleging that the Congress government had compromised the sanctity of the constitutional posts. Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar defended the government’s decision, stating that the Congress had not dishonoured the sanctity of constitutional posts. Senior BJP leader R. Ashoka congratulated G.S. Patil on his election and urged him to uphold the dignity and independence of the Chair. Ashoka also referred to the work completed by former Speaker U.T. Khader and advised Patil to ensure that the Assembly is convened at the appropriate time. In the Legislative Council election, Saleem Ahmed secured 38 votes against 30 polled by NDA candidate P.H. Pujar. Leader of the Opposition in the Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy congratulated Saleem Ahmed and urged him to function above party, caste, and creed. The election to the Council Chairman’s post was also marked by heated exchanges between the ruling Congress and NDA members, with opposition members questioning the circumstances under which former Chairman Basavaraj Horatti had resigned from the post.
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📰 Source: Mangalorean News