Bengaluru (Karnataka): JDS MLC Basavaraj Horatti was on Tuesday elected as the Chairman of the 75-member upper house of the Karnataka legislature, amid protests by Congress members.
The Opposition leaders M Narayanswamy, BK Hariprasad, and Nasir Ahmed objected over the din in the House and rushed to the well to register their protests over the passage of the Anti-Cow Slaughter Bill.
However, the Chair overruled their objection suggesting that they need to stick to the agenda.
Horatti, a seven-time MLC, who represents Karnataka's west teachers constituency, was declared "unanimously" elected, as the opposition Congress that was protesting from the well of the house, did not propose the name of its candidate Naseer Ahmed, during the election process.
Amid loud sloganeering, KV Narayan Swamy proposed the candidature of Horatti for Chairman's post while KT Srikante Gowda approved it. N Appaji Gowda was the second proposer while Thippa Swamy approved it.
Ignoring noisy protests by the Congress, the Chairman went ahead and elected Horatti who was sitting on the benches allocated for JDS. Once Horatti reached the Chairman's chair, M K Pranesh welcomed him with folded hands.
K Srinivas Poojary, BJP leader in the house, welcomed him too. Home and Parliamentary affairs minister Basvaraj Bommai lauded Horatti, who has been a member of the house for about four decades. He recalled Horatti's association with veteran leaders like Ramakrishna Hegde and his own father and former CM SR Bommai. He further reminisced about how Horatti, previously a school teacher, came into politics as an Independent and was able to take an unbiased view on issues.