Maiden session of Karnataka assembly from June 4

Bangalore, May 03: The maiden, two-day session, of the newly elected Thirteenth Karnataka Legislative Assembly, which also heralds for the first-ever Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in South, will begin here tomorrow.

The state came under the President's rule since last November following collapse of the 7-day-old Yeddyurappa led BJP-JD(S) coalition government. The President's rule was revoked following the BJP forming a new government after the conclusion of a three-phase assembly elections in the state. The new members would be administered oath by Pro Term Speaker K G Bopaiah. The second day would witness election of the new Speaker of the Assembly. Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa will seek a confidence vote to prove majority to his government.

Mr Yeddyurappa was sworn in by Karnataka Governor Rameshwar Thakur along with 29 ministers on May 30. Senior Party leader Jagadish Shettar, who was denied the ministerial berth, is likely to be made the new Speaker.

Main opposition Congress, which got 80 seats in the run-up to Assembly elections, has chosen veteran Mallikarjuna Kharge as the leader of its legislature party and would be the opposition leader in the 224-member lower house. Mr Kharge who got re-elected from Chittapur constituency and created a record in the Karnataka legislature by returning ninth time in a row to the lower house.

H D Devegowda led Janata Dal (Secular) in Karantaka has 28 members including former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and his brother H D Revanna. The strength of JD(S) was substantially reduced as compared to the previous assembly in which it had 58 members.

In its history of over five decades of Karnataka legislature the lower house will witness a strong opposition of as many as 108 members, 80 from Congress and 28 from JD(S) in the 224-member house and six independents, five of them have become ministers in BJP government will hold the key for ensuring stability.

The thirteenth assembly which has as many as 90 first-time members also miss some of the regular faces including former Chief Minister N Dharam Singh, former Speaker Ramesh Kumar, senior Congress leaders R V Deshapande, Basavaraj Rayareddy, Kannada Vatal Paksha leader Vatal Nagaraj, CPM member G V Sriram Reddy and members from Maharashtra Ekikarana Samithi (MES), all got defeated in the recent elections.

UNI