Basavaraj Horatti Likely To Be Elected Unopposed As Karnataka Legislative Council Chairman

BJP MLC Basavaraj Horatti is all set to return as the Chairman of the Karnataka Legislative Council, with his election likely to be unopposed.

The 76-year-old, who is an MLC from West Teachers' constituency, on Tuesday filed his nomination papers as the BJP’s candidate for the Legislative Council Chairman election, scheduled on Wednesday.

With no other candidate in the fray so far, Horatti is likely to be elected unopposed.

The BJP has a majority in the 75-member Upper House of the state legislature with 39 MLCs, excluding acting chairman Raghunathrao Malkapure, while Congress has 26, JD(S)  eight, and there is one Independent.

A section within the BJP, especially from the party's old guard, wanted Malkapure, who is from the Kuruba community to continue as the Chairman, instead of Horatti, who recently joined the party.

"I'm satisfied that the BJP has kept its word...I have no discontentment (because of some resentment)," Horatti told reporters in response to a question after filing the nomination.     

Horatti, elected as MLC eight successive times from 1980, had ended his long association with the JD(S), earlier this year and joined the BJP.

He had subsequently won the council polls from the West Teachers’ constituency on a BJP ticket and won.

Considered to be among the senior-most MLCs, Horatti was seen as JD(S)'s prominent Lingayat face from north Karnataka for a long.

He had been State Education Minister and had earlier been elected as the Chairman of the Legislative Council in February 2021.