Karnataka legislative council deputy chairman voted out
By IANSFriday, January 14, 2011
BANGALORE - Karnataka’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party Friday managed to remove the deputy chairman of the legislative council, Puttanna of the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S), amid vociferous protests by Congress and JD-S members.
The motion of no-confidence against Puttanna received 40 votes in the 75-member house. The Congress and JD-S did not participate in the vote in protest against the move.
The BJP has 37 members in the council, the Congress 17, the JDS 13, Independents six. Three seats are vacant.
The no-trust motion was moved Thursday by two BJP legislators on the ground that Puttanna was not impartial in conducting the council business.
The BJP is expected to have its nominee elected when the council resumes sitting Monday after the week-end break.
The BJP got its man N. Yogish Bhat elected deputy speaker of the assembly Wednesday. The Congress and JDS did not field a nominee nor participated in the election.
