Resignation spree sees Karnataka legislative council numbers dip

HUBBALLI: The overall strength of the legislative council has plummeted, thanks to an unprecedented spate in resignations ahead of assembly elections.
With the resignation of BJP’s Ayanur Manjunath earlier this week, the number of those who quit has touched half-a-dozen in the 75-member house.
C Puttanna, R Shankar, Laxman Savadi and Baburao Chinchansur, all of BJP, are others who resigned in the run-up to the May 10 elections, while Congress’ CM Ibrahim had resigned last year and joined JD(S). He was made state president of the regional outfit. H Vishwanath has not formally put in his papers, although he said he would quit.
Basavaraj Horatti, chairman, legislative council, said: “It’s true this is unprecedented, and what’s more astonishing is that most of the members are from one party. ”Horatti himself quit JD(S) and joined BJP in May last year. He went on to say, “The situation is very disappointing. Currently, the council looks like a rehabilitation centre for political parties to accommodate those who have lost in elections. It’s high time for political parties to increase the standard of Upper House. ”
Karnataka’s Upper House has a history of more than 115 years, but it has never seen such a huge number of legislators quitting to try their luck in electoral polls to the Lower House. Normally, members resign from the assembly to join the council.
Of the 69 members left in the Upper House, the terms of three more will end between the middle of May and end of June. The terms of Mohan Kumar Kondajji and PR Ramesh will end in the middle of May, while CM Lingappa’s term will end at the beginning of June. All three are from Congress.
“That will take the total number of MLCs to 66,” said Horatti, who went on to say that standards have fallen. “In my experience of nearly 42 years, I have seen many good people as the members of the council,” he said. “I have never seen such a fall in the quality of discussion as is being seen in recent times. The government and political parties used to bring intellectuals, experts in various fields like art, culture, music to the council earlier, but not anymore. ”