Mallikarjun Kharge is the Senior most member in the Assembly

Bangalore, June 4 (UNI) Congress Legislative Party leader Mallikarjuna Kharge, who created a record by entering the Karnataka Assembly for the Ninth term in a row, has the distinction of being the senior most member of the 13th Assembly constituted recently.

According to official sources, Mr Kharge is the senior most in the 224-member House.

The 66-year-old political stalwart, who first got elected from Gurumitkal constituency in 1972, had been winning elections till 2007. However, he was forced to change his constitutency this time to Chittapur after it was carved our from Gurmitkal in the delimitation process.

Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, who had made it to Lower House for the sixth consecutive time was the second senior most after Mr Kharge. Mr Yeddyurappa, who was elected to 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 12th and 13th assembly however, suffered a setback when he was defeated in 1999 election from Shikaripur in Shimoga district.

The newly constituted 13th Assembly has 14 five-time Legislators including 10 from Congress, 3 BJP and JD(S) One followed by 28 four-time members BJP (12), Congress (14) and JD-S(02), 19 three-time legislators BJP (12), JD-S (06) and Independents one.

Among the 71 second-time legislators 32 are from BJP, followed by Congess (30) and Indepdndents one and among the 90-first-timers 50 members from BJP, 25 from Congress, JD(S) 11 and Independents 04.

While 75-year-old Congress member Shamanur Shivashankarappa is the yeldest member of the house BJP's 26-year-old Suresh Prabhu was the youngest legisltor of the 13th Assembly.

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