BJP member elected Karnataka council deputy chairperson
By IANSMonday, January 17, 2011
BANGALORE - Karnataka’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Monday elected its legislator Vimala Gowda as deputy chairperson of the state legislative council, ignoring opposition boycott of the poll.
Council Chairman D.H.Shankara Murthy announced that Gowda was elected “unanimously” as hers was the only nomination to fill the vacancy caused by the removal of the incumbent, Puttanna of the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S), from the post Jan 15.
The JD-S and the main opposition Congress protested Puttanna’s removal through a no-trust vote on a motion of the BJP, which accused him of being partisan in conducting the council’s proceedings.
Vimala Gowda, 58 and first-time legislator, filed the nomination papers Sunday.
On Monday, the Congress and JDS members protested the move to elect Gowda and walked out of the house.
With the election of Gowda, the BJP legislators are deputy heads of both the state council and the assembly.
N. Yogish Bhat, a four-time legislator, was Jan 11 elected deputy speaker of the assembly amid bedlam as the Congress and the JD-S wanted the election to be put off as courts were hearing the case of 16 legislators disqualified for rebelling against Chief Minister B.S.Yeddyurappa in October last year.
The post of deputy speaker was vacant for more than a year after incumbent K.G. Bopahiah was elected speaker in place of Jagadish Shettar, who was inducted as a minister in Chief Minister K.S.Yeddiyurappa’s cabinet.
