Karnataka Government appoints KG Bopaiah as Pro tem speaker

Bangalore : Karnataka government Vajubhai R Vala on Friday appointed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator KG Bopaiah as pro tem Speaker of the state Assembly. The decision comes after Supreme Court ordered a floor test on Saturday.

KG Bopaiah had earlier served as speaker for the assembly from 2009 to 2013.

Reacting over the decision, Congress said its senior-most MLA Raghunath Vishvanath Deshpande has been ignored.

“What the BJP has done is against the rulebook. Ideally, the senior-most leader is supposed to hold that position,” Abhishek Manu Singhvi said.

According to Supreme Court ruling, pro tem speaker (senior most member of the assembly) would administer the newly-elected members their oath and then conduct the floor test.

The Supreme Court has ordered no policy decision till floor test by BS Yeddyurappa, who took oath as Chief Minister on Thursady.

The BJP won 104 of the 222 seats, falling eight short of the 112-halfway mark. The Congress bagged 78 seats and the JD-S 37. The Congress and JD-S formed a post-poll coalition and staked claim to form the government.