Now Reading: Congress MLC Saleem Ahmed elected Karnataka Council chairman with 38 votes
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Congress MLC Saleem Ahmed elected Karnataka Council chairman with 38 votes
Congress MLC Saleem Ahmed elected Karnataka Council chairman with 38 votes
Congress MLC Saleem Ahmed has been elected Chairman of the Karnataka Legislative Council, securing 38 votes against 30 for BJP nominee P.H. Pujar. Pro-tem Chairman Puttanna announced the result after a contest…
The Story in Brief
Congress MLC Saleem Ahmed has been elected Chairman of the Karnataka Legislative Council, securing 38 votes against 30 for BJP nominee P.H. Pujar. Pro-tem Chairman Puttanna announced the result after a contest that saw the ruling party's candidate defeat the Opposition's pick. The election was necessitated by Basavaraj Horatti's resignation as Chairman.
The election followed seven proposals, with five in favour of Ahmed. Opposition Leader Chalavadi Narayanaswamy proposed Pujar for the post. After the result, Leader of the House Yathindra Siddaramaiah, the Opposition leader, and Congress member B.K. Hariprasad escorted Ahmed to the Chair. The new chairman has been urged by Opposition members to ensure impartiality during House proceedings.
The Indian Opinion
The Congress victory in the Council chairmanship election was arithmetic, not ideological. With 38 votes against the BJP-JD(S) combine's 30, the ruling party simply had the numbers. But the subtext is worth watching: the manner of former chairman Horatti's exit, reportedly at the CM's request to avoid a no-confidence motion, shows how floor management works in practice. The real test for Ahmed is yet to come. Can he convince the Opposition he will be impartial, as they have publicly asked him to be?
Sources (2): nationalheraldindia.com, newindianexpress.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
