BJP-JD S to join hands for Legislative Council Chairman and Dy Chairman post in Karnataka

(Eds: adding details)
Bengaluru, Jan 27 (PTI) After several rounds of
discussions, the ruling BJP on Wednesday decided to join hands
with the JD(S) for the post of Karnataka Legislative Council
Chairman and Deputy Chairman.
As per the arrangement, BJP will support JD(S) for the
Chairman's post, while the regional party will return the
favour by ceding the Deputy Chairman's post, top party sources
said.
While senior JD(S) MLC Basavaraj Horatti will be the
nominee for the Chairman's post, the BJP is fielding M K
Pranesh for the post of Deputy Chairman.
Pranesh will file his nomination papers on Thursday and
the election to the Deputy Chairmans post is scheduled on
January 29.
The decision to support JD(S) for the Chairman's post and
to field Pranesh as BJP's nominee for Deputy Chairman was
arrived at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa
with party MLCs and a few senior Ministers.
Earlier in the day Horatti met Yediyurappa in this regard
and sought the BJP's support.
JD(S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda has already spoken to
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president J P Nadda
seeking the ruling party's support, he had said.
"I met the Chief Minister. Yesterday our (JDS) 13 MLCs, H
D Deve Gowda and H D Kumaraswamy (party leader and former CM)
had held discussions, and we have decided to ask for council
Chairman post and to support them (BJP) for the Deputy
Chairman post," Horatti said.
Speaking to reporters here after meeting Yediyurappa, he
said "I'm the senior member in the House (council) and there
is a general opinion among everyone that I should be made (the
Chairman).
    ...so we are asking for the Chairman's post and will
support them (BJP) for that of Deputy Chairman."
The election for the post of Chairman and Deputy Chairman
will take place during the joint session of the state
legislature, beginning from Thursday.
There are all indications that the incumbent Chairman K
Pratapachandra Shetty, who is from the Congress, may resign
soon, as the ruling BJP has moved a no-confidence motion
against him, which is likely to be supported by the JD (S).
The post of the Deputy Chairman has fallen vacant
following JD(S)' S L Dharme Gowda's alleged death by suicide
last month.
Noting that discussions have taken place with the Prime
Minister and Nadda, Horatti said Deve Gowda has told them that
he (Horatti) should be given a chance as Chairman of the upper
house, considering his seniority.
"Nadda had asked for my bio-data, which has been sent. He
has told Gowda that their decision will be communicated to the
party (BJP) state president," he said earlier today.
According to BJP sources, the ruling party agreed to
support Horatti in return for the regional party's support in
its move to oust Shetty and ensure passage of certain key
bills.
The earlier move by both parties in December to remove
Shetty as Chairman was not successful as their notice of no-
confidence was rejected on technical grounds.
The House had witnessed high drama that day with BJP-JDS
and Congress members hurling abuses and pushing each other.
Amid the ruckus on December 15, the then Deputy Chairman
Dharme Gowda was even pulled down from the Chair.
Currently the ruling BJP is the single largest party in
the Council with 31 seats, followed by Congress with 29,
including the chairman, JD(S) 13, one independent and one
vacant (due to death of Dharme Gowda). PTI KSU APR
ADMINISTRATOR
APR
ADMINISTRATOR

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)