Karnataka Council chaos: Chairman issues show cause notice to Secretary

BJP MLCs have asked the Governor to order a reconvening of the Council under the leadership of the Deputy Chairman to conduct the no-confidence motion against the Chairman once again. (Screengrab)

The Chairman of the Karnataka Legislative Council has issued a show cause notice to the Council Secretary over the unprecedented chaos involving BJP and Congress members on December 15, when the saffron party attempted to take control of the House by deposing the former.

BJP legislators had locked the Council’s doors to prevent the Chairman, Prathapchandra Shetty (Congress), from entering the House, while Congress legislators forcibly unseated the deputy chairman, S L Dharmegowda of the JD(S), after he was ushered to the chairman’s seat by BJP members.

Shetty has now said that the actions of the Secretary in allowing the “illegal conduct” of the house by the Deputy Chairman without informing him about the rules and procedures amount to dereliction of duty.

Citing video footage, he accused the Secretary of facilitating the illegal occupation of the Chairman’s seat by the Deputy Chairman as well as the closing of the chamber’s door to prevent his entry into the house—and asked him to explain why he should not face action.

Chairman Shetty was elected in 2018 when the Congress-JDS government was in power. The ruling BJP is now trying to wrest control of the Chairman’s post with the JDS offering it support. The BJP has 31 MLCs, the Congress 29, the JDS 14 and there is one Independent member in the 75-member Legislative Council.

BJP MLCs have asked the Governor to order a reconvening of the Council under the leadership of the Deputy Chairman to conduct the no-confidence motion against the Chairman once again.

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