BENGALURU: JDS MLC Basavaraj Horatti was on Tuesday elected chairman of the 75-member Upper House of the Karnataka Legislature. The election lasted minutes, with Congress candidate MLC Naseer Ahmed pulling out at the last minute as he did not have the numbers. When Deputy Chairman M K Pranesh called for an election, Congress members protested loudly.
MLCs M Narayanswamy, B K Hariprasad and Naseer Ahmed claimed that the House was not in order and the election should not be allowed. They also rushed into the well of the House to object to the passing of the Anti-Cow Slaughter Bill without division. But the chair overruled their objection, and said the election was listed on the agenda.
As the Congress kept up loud protestations, K V Narayana Swamy proposed the candidature of Horatti for chairman, while K T Srikante Gowda approved it. N Appaji Gowda was the second proposer, and K A Thippe Swamy approved it. Horatti was escorted to the Chairman’s seat, as Pranesh and BJP House leader K Srinivas Poojary welcomed him.
Later, Home and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Basavaraj Bommai lauded Horatti. Congress candidate Naseer Ahmed’s name was proposed by M Narayanswamy and approved by R Prasanna Kumar, while Hariprasad seconded his candidature and Aravind Kumar Arali approved it.