BJP’S KAGERI SET TO BECOME NEW SPEAKER

BENGALURU: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday fielded Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri as its candidate for the Karnataka assembly speaker’s post. Kageri is set to become the speaker on Wednesday in the absence of any other contender.

The post fell vacant after K R Ramesh Kumar resigned on Monday after chief minister B S Yeddyurappa-led BJP government proved its majority by winning a trust vote.

Yeddyurappa was sworn in as the chief minister after the resignations of 16 rebel lawmakers led to the collapse of the Congressjanata Dal (Secular) coalition government in the state last week.

Yeddyurappa and other top BJP leaders like Govind Karjol, R Ashok, Jagadish Shettar, K S Eshwarappa and S Suresh Kumar accompanied Kageri, a six-time lawmaker from Sirsi in coastal Uttara Kannada district, when he filed his nomination.

“The deadline for filing nominations was [Tuesday] noon, and till then we received only one nomination,” said Karnataka assembly secretary M K Vishalaksh.

The BJP until Monday wanted to field K D Bopaiah for the post. “He was more inclined towards a cabinet post as he has already been a speaker,” a BJP leader said on condition of anonymity.

“The choice was really between Kageri and Bopaiah. Kageri was willing to take up any post the party offered...”

The Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) did not field their candidates because they do not have the numbers, leaders of the two parties said.

The current strength of the Karnataka assembly is 208. The BJP, which has 105 members, has the support of an Independent. Kumar disqualified the rebel lawmakers, whose resignations brought down the Congress-janata Dal (Secular) government, before quitting as the speaker.

CONG AND JD(S) DID NOT FIELD CANDIDATES BECAUSE THEY DO NOT HAVE THE NUMBERS