A dark horse from the Congress party is set to become the chairman of the Karnataka Legislative Council. The elections to the post will be held on December 12.
Amid speculations over the JD(S) fielding pro tem chairman Basavaraj Horatti and the Congress Party pushing for S.R. Patil—both Lingayats from north Karnataka region, Pratapchandra Shetty, a senior Congress MLC from the coastal Karnataka region emerged as the dark horse on Tuesday, when he filed the sole nomination for the post. He is most likely to be elected unopposed for the post.
In the 75-member house, with two vacancies, the Congress has a clear majority as its holds 38 seats, the BJP has 18 and the JD(S) holds 14, along with two independents. Shetty’s elevation is seen as a part of the Congress’s efforts to keep resentment within the party under check. There is a wider resentment among the Congress MLCs that the JD(S) is gaining the upper hand in the coalition government.
Earlier too, the Congress members were unhappy after the JD(S) wrested the pro tem chairman’s post, and the Congress leadership yielded to the demand only to keep its coalition partner happy. The Congress leaders and party workers had registered their protest against the party playing second fiddle to the JD(S). The leaders had expressed concern over the JD(S) emerging stronger at the Congress party's expense in the state.
In June, a silent tussle broke out between the two partners, with none yielding to the other's demand. It had given the opposition BJP enough ammo to attack the coalition government.
On June 21, senior JD(S) leader Basavaraj Horatti was appointed as pro tem chairman which lead to the BJP staging a walkout demanding that the chairman be elected. Horatti, who was hoping to be inducted into the cabinet reluctantly agreed to hold the post. With the cabinet expansion set for December 22, the coalition partners seemed to be trying hard to balance the caste and regional equation.
Shetty, a four-time MLA from Kundapur and a three-time MLC from Udupi district, is considered to be a close aide of veteran Congress leaders, Oscar Fernandes and Veerappa Moily. Moreover, the move is seen as an effort to rein in former chief minister and coordination committee chairman Siddaramaiah, who, incidentally, has skipped the ongoing legislative session to attend a wedding in Malaysia.
Earlier too, Siddaramaiah had pitched for senior leader S.R. Patil, as the latter had handled his election campaign in Badami and ensured his win. The victory was crucial for Siddaramaiah, as he had suffered a humiliating defeat in his hometurf, Chamundeshwari in Mysuru.
The Congress choosing a leader from the coastal belt is widely seen as an indication that the party is looking to boost its prospects in the coastal belt in the 2019 Parliament polls.
