LS Session: Cane prices, ‘tainted’ ministers high on Opposition’s agenda

Bangalore: Speaker of the Leg­is­la­tive Assembly Ka­go­du Th­­i­mmappa indicated on Tuesday that Janata Dal (S) would lose its position as the principal Op­po­si­tion party during the leg­is­­la­ture session comme­n­cing on Wednesday.

Speaking to media pers­ons here, Thi­m­m­appa said he was informed ab­ou­t KJP’s merger with BJP, and therefore would an­nounce his decision on the question of principal Op­position in the House during the session.

“Four me­­mbers of KJP have gi­v­en a letter saying that the­ir party has merged wi­th the BJP. Besides, le­a­ders of BJP have given a le­tter, saying that they ha­ve admitted these memb­ers into their party. I have to take a decision on this. I cannot disclose my decision here. I will disclose it in the House during the session,” Thimmappa added.

So far, four MLAs of K­JP- B S Yed­dyu­rappa, Gurupadappa Nag­a­m­a­rapalli, Vishwantha Patil and U B Banakar have agreed to merge the­ir party with BJP, while B R Patil and Guru Patil have refused to toe the line of their leader.

Though Thi­m­m­appa declined to divulge more details, official sou­r­ces said B R Patil and Guru Patil would be allotted separate seats in the Assembly after a fo­r­mal announcement by the Speaker. Answering a question, Thimmappa said the government was yet to form guidelines for legislators embarking on foreign tours.

During the session commencing on Wednesday, the treasury benches co­uld face some tough mo­m­ents with the Op­p­osition set to trains its guns on the state government.

The Opposition parties are likely to rake up the issue of remunerative prices for sugarcane during the forthcoming session.

Besides, these parties are likely to raise the issue of induction of two “tainted” ministers D K Shivakumar and R Roshan Baig into the cabinet and the charges against these ministers. Leader of Opposition H D Kumaraswamy has threatened to “expose the misdeeds” of the state government during the session.

The session would commence with an address by Governor H R Bhardwaj and last till January 30.