Mangaluru: Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala, on Friday appointed BJP’s Virajpet MLA KG Bopaiah as the Pro-tem Speaker.
Bopaiah will now oversee proceedings for the Supreme Court-mandated floor test on Saturday afternoon.
The rules require senior most leader of the assembly become the speaker and accordingly the Congress said RV Deshpande should go on to become the speaker of the assembly. However, this was brushed aside and Bopaiah was appointed as the pro-tem Speaker.
Earlier today, the Supreme Court ordered the state government to have the floor test latest by tomorrow to test if BS Yeddyurappa enjoys the confidence of the House. Yeddyurappa was given 15 days by the Governor to prove his majority.
The 5-time MLA, KG Bopaiah, was the speaker of the House in 2011 when several MLAs had withdran their support to BS Yeddyurappa government. In a controversial action, Bopaiah had disqualified the rebel MLAs and helped the BJP government to survive in Karnataka. Even the Cupre Court had criticised the Speaker for his hasty move during the trust vote.
Congress quickly objected to the appointment of pro-tem Speaker. Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said that what the BJP has done was against the rule book as “only the senior most leader is supposed to hold that position.”
KPCC working president Dinesh Gundu Rao tweeted: “Shocking decision by the Hon’ble Governor. Constitutional convention says the senior most, in this case R.V. Deshpande should have been named. Also Supreme Court has passed strictures against the conduct of K G Bopaiah as Speaker. Sad to see Vajubhai Valaji behaving like an agent of BJP.”
Shocking decision by the Hon’ble Governor..Constitutional Convention says the seniormost,in this case RV Deshpande should’ve been named. Also Supreme Court had passed structures against the conduct of KG Bopiah as Speaker.
Sad to see Vajubhai Valaji behaving like an agent of BJP. pic.twitter.com/q78Awzq1iu— Dinesh Gundu Rao (@dineshgrao) May 18, 2018
Union Minister of Human Resource Development and BJP’s Karnataka election in-charge Prakash Javdekar tweeted, “KG Bopaiah was appointed as Pro Tem speaker even in 2008 by the then Governor. That time Bopaiah was 10 years younger than what he is today. The Congress is thus raising hoax objection. The appointment of Bopaiah Ji is as per rules and regulations.”
Shri KG Bopaiah was appointed as Pro Tem speaker even in 2008 by the then Governor. That time Bopaiah was 10 years younger than what he is today. The Congress is thus raising hoax objection. The appointment of Bopaiah Ji is as per rules and regulations. @BJP4India @BJP4Karnataka
— Prakash Javadekar (@PrakashJavdekar) May 18, 2018
