K'taka Council adjourned

Bangalore, Feb 19 (UNI) The Karnataka Legislative Council was adjourned for the day today without initiating discussion on the motion of thanks to the Governor for his address, in anticipation of breaking the impasse over the appointment of Chairman to the Council.

When the House re-assembled in the afternoon, Council Officiating Chairman N Thipanna allowed JD(S) member H S Shivashankar to participate in the discussion on the thanks giving motion, moved by BJP's Manohar Maski.

However, Mr Shivashankar appealed to the Chair to adjourn the House to tomorrow as a solution was likely to emerge to the deadlock over the election to the post of House Chairman, which culminated in the suspension of the Opposition Congress members for the session.

Intervening, JD(S) member Srikante Gowda and BJP's Mukhyamantri Chandru squarely blamed the Congress for disrupting the proceedings for over ten days consecutively, before being suspended.

Mr Chandru accused the Congress members of deliberately not attending the session only to save embarrassment for the UPA Government at the Centre over the Cauvery issue. While the people of the State were agitating against the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal verdict, the Congress was avoiding to participate in the discussion.

Floor leader and Higher Education Minister D H Shankaramurthy accused the Congress of having disrupted the House, harping on a non-issue. The Government had made several attempts to convince the Congress to participate in the proceedings, but in vain. He appealed to the Chair to allow discussion on the thanks giving motion.

After hearing the members, Mr Thippanna adjourned the House to tomorrow.

UNI