Horatti must immediately resign as head of K’taka Legislative Council: Hariprasad

 

Bengaluru: Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Council B K Hariprasad on Thursday termed Upper House Chairman Basavaraj Horatti’s recent announcement to join the BJP, even before quitting the constitutional post, as a “fraud on the Constitution” and demanded the latter’s immediate resignation.

The Congress leader said this conduct of the Chairman comes under the ambit of the anti-defection law.

Horatti on Tuesday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah here, and said he would join the BJP soon.

“Horatti is occupying a constitutional post, it has come in the media that he has met Amit Shah and has said that he will be joining BJP. No one expected such a stand by Horatti who is senior and has a long experience…before coming to such a decision he could have conducted himself in a manner that safeguards the dignity of the post he is holding,” Hariprasad said.

Speaking to reporters here, the Congress leader said, as a Chairman, Horatti’s conduct of meeting Shah with an intention to join the BJP is a “fraud on the Constitution”.

“…a person is free to join any party, but after the anti-defection law came into effect, anyone (elected representative) joining the other party or making such a statement, comes under the ambit of the 10th Schedule. He has said that he will resign as Chairman on May 11 and join BJP, it is against the constitution,” he added.

Horatti is likely to be the BJP’s candidate for the upcoming MLC polls from West Teachers’ constituency.

Demanding the immediate resignation of Horatti for “fraud on the Constitution” while holding a constitutional post, Hariprasad said being in such a post, he should conduct and speak in accordance with the Constitution.

“He should resign immediately to safeguard the dignity of the Upper House, because as Chairman he should be non-partisan, but while holding the post announcing that he will join the BJP is a big mistake,” he said.

Horatti, who was elected as MLC seven successive times from 1980, has ended his long association with the JD(S).

Considered to be among the senior-most MLCs, 76-year-old Horatti was seen as a prominent Lingayat face of the JD(S) from north Karnataka. He had been education minister in the state, and was elected as the Chairman of the Legislative Council in February 2021.