Bengaluru: Former minister and six-time MLA from Sirsi constituency, Vishweshwara Hegde Kageri was unanimously elected Speaker of the Legislative Assembly here on Wednesday with the opposition Congress-JD(S) combine deciding not to field a candidate against him.
The post had fallen vacant after the resignation of K.R. Ramesh Kumar on Monday soon after new CM B.S. Yediyurappa won the trust vote in the assembly.
Mr Yediyurappa proposed Mr Kageri’s name for Speaker which was seconded by senior legislator Basavaraj Bommai. Deputy Speaker Krishna Reddy then declared that Kageri had been elected to the post unopposed.
Mr Yediyurappa then thanked the opposition parties for helping to unanimously elect Mr Kageri and said, “I am confident that he will discharge his duties as presiding officer effectively by taking the ruling party and opposition into confidence.” He said Mr Kageri had an unblemished record in public life adding that he was happy to see a simple and humble man become the Speaker of the 15th Assembly.
Congress Legislature Party leader and former CM Siddaramaiah congratulated the newly elected Speaker and requested him to discharge his duties impartially. “There is criticism that the values of parliamentary democracy have been declining in recent times. We are accountable to the public and must improve the standards of debate and discussion in the House. The newly elected Speaker must maintain the decorum of the House and adhere to the precedents set by previous Speakers like Vaikunta Baliga and others”, Mr Siddaramaiah said.
Former Speaker K.R. Ramesh Kumar, former CM Jagadish Shettar, former ministers, K.S.Eshwarappa, Govind Karjol, R.V. Deshpande, Krishna Byregowda and others congratulated the newly elected Speaker.
