Bengaluru

Congress MLA Gurupadagouda Sanganagouda Patil was elected Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Friday.

Popularly known as G S Patil, his name was proposed by Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and seconded by Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara.

Pro-tem Speaker T B Jayachandra, who presided over the proceedings, declared Patil elected after a voice vote.

The Opposition BJP and JD(S) boycotted the Speaker election.

The post fell vacant following the resignation of U T Khader ahead of his induction into the Shivakumar-led Council of Ministers on June 3.

Patil is a four-time MLA from the Ron Assembly constituency in Gadag district.

A member of the Lingayat community, he previously served as chairman of the Karnataka Mineral Development Corporation and Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Ltd.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R Ashoka said the BJP and JD(S) had decided to boycott the Speaker election in protest against the ruling Congress "unconstitutionally" naming the new Speaker on its official letterhead.

He accused the Congress of starting a new tradition in the country and the state by announcing the Speaker's name on its party letterhead, thereby undermining the sovereignty of the House and the rights of its elected representatives.

He was referring to the Congress high command's letter to CM D K Shivakumar on August 3, which contained the names of 19 ministers to be inducted into his Cabinet.

The letter also contained the names of the party's nominees for the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Chairman and Deputy Chairman posts.

Ashoka had also made it clear that once the Speaker was elected, the BJP and JD(S) would accord the Speaker's chair and office all due respect.

Ahead of the Speaker's election, the CM introduced his new Cabinet ministers to the House.

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This is the first Assembly session since the Shivakumar-led Cabinet took charge.