Council Chairman poll: Process to be set in motion by tomorrow

Bangalore, Mar 28 (UNI) The Karnataka Government today received flak from the Opposition Congress in the Legislative Council over delaying the election to the vacant House Chairman's post, forcing it to announce that the poll process would be set in motion by tomorrow evening.

Raising the issue immediately after the question hour, Congress members, led by Leader of the Opposition H K Patil, took strong exception to the State Government delaying the election to the post, lying vacant for the last nine months.

Mr Patil charged the State Government with belittling the sanctity and importance of the entire House by not respecting the Governor's instruction to holding the election expeditiously.

Congress member V S Ugrappa accused the coalition Government of giving scant respect to the Constitution and the Governor. A word used by Mr Ugrappa against the Government triggered loud protests from the treasury benches, which was countered by the Opposition members, resulting in pandemonium.

Council Acting Chairman Sachidanand Khot found it difficult to pacify the agitating members and ordered not to record anything.

Higher Education Minister and House leader D H Shankaramurthy said the State Cabinet had decided to hold the election and it would be communicated to the Governor for future course of action.

However, Mr Patil charged the Government with showing no interest to hold the election for political reasons and hence delaying communicating the Cabinet decision to the Governor. He cautioned that if the Government was adamant in not holding the poll, it could not expect cooperation from the Congress on the floor of the House.

He demanded that the Government take immediate measure to communicate the Cabinet's decision to the Governor and announce the calendar of events.

Senior Congress member B K Chandrashekhar alleged that the Government had committed Constitutional fraud by delaying the poll and warned of staging a dharna in the House. He indulged in heated exchange of words with Primary and Secondary Education Minister Basavaraj S Horatti.

Bowing to pressure from the Congress, Mr Horatti assured that the Government would communicate the Cabinet decision to the Governor and set in motion the poll process by tomorrow evening.

Mr Khot also asked the Government to take steps to hold the poll.

UNI