Belagavi (K’taka), Dec 20 (PTI) BJP MLC Basavaraj Horatti is all set to return as Karnataka Legislative Council Speaker as his election is likely to be unopposed.
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The 76-year-old, who is an MLC from West Teachers constituency, on Tuesday filed his nomination papers as a candidate for the BJP Legislative Council president election scheduled for Wednesday.
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With no other candidates in contention so far, Horatti may be elected unopposed.
The BJP has a majority in the 75-member Upper House of the state legislature with 39 MLCs, excluding acting Speaker Raghunathrao Malkapure, the Congress has 26, the JD(S) has eight, and there is one Independent.
A section of the BJP, especially the party’s old guard, wanted Malkapur, who belongs to the Kuruba community, to continue as president in place of Horatti, who recently joined the party.
“I am happy that the BJP has fulfilled its promise… I have no grief (due to resentment),” Horatti told reporters in response to a question after the nomination was presented.
Horatti, elected as an MLC eight times in a row since 1980, ended his long association with the JD(S) earlier this year and joined the BJP.
Later, he won the municipal polls from the West Teachers constituency on a BJP ticket, and won.
Considered to be among the top MLCs, Horatti was the prominent Lingayat face of the JD(S) in north Karnataka for long.
He was the Minister of State for Education, and was previously elected as the President of the Legislative Council in February 2021.
(This is an unedited, auto-generated story from the Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the body of the content)