G.S. Patil Elected Karnataka Assembly Speaker as Opposition BJP, JD(S) Boycott Poll
Congress MLA Gurupadagouda Sanganagouda Patil, popularly known as G.S. Patil, was elected as the Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on August 14. His name was proposed by Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and seconded by Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara. Pro-tem Speaker T.B. Jayachandra, who presided over the proceedings, declared Mr. Patil elected after a voice vote.
The post had fallen vacant following the resignation of U.T. Khader, who was inducted into the Shivakumar-led Council of Ministers on June 3. Mr. Patil, a four-time MLA from the Ron Assembly constituency in Gadag district, is a member of the Lingayat community. He has previously served as chairperson of the Karnataka Mineral Development Corporation and Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Limited.
The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal (Secular) boycotted the election. Speaking to reporters, Leader of Opposition R. Ashoka said the boycott was in protest against the ruling Congress allegedly naming the Speaker on its official letterhead. He accused the Congress of undermining the sovereignty of the House and the rights of its elected representatives by announcing the Speaker's name through a party letter, a practice he called unconstitutional and a new tradition in the country and the state.
The reference was to a letter from the Congress high command to Chief Minister Shivakumar dated August 3, which contained names of 19 ministers for induction into the Cabinet. The letter also listed the party's nominees for the posts of Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Assembly, as well as Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson of the Legislative Council. Mr. Ashoka clarified that once the Speaker was elected, the BJP and JD(S) would accord due respect to the Speaker's chair and office.
Ahead of the Speaker's election, the Chief Minister introduced his new Cabinet ministers to the House. This was the first Assembly session after the Shivakumar-led government took charge.
In a related development, Senior Member of the Legislative Council Saleem Ahmed was elected as Chairperson of the Upper House on the same day. Former chairperson Basavaraj Horatti, whose resignation created the vacancy, was among those who greeted the Congress leader following the election.
