Deve Gowda now wants Basavaraj Horatti as Council chairman, will talk to Rahul Gandhi

Bengaluru: Janata Dal (Secular) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda intends to hold talks with the party’s coalition partner, the Congress, on continuing protem chairman of the Legislative Council Basavaraj Horatti as full-time presiding officer considering his effective handling of proceedings in the Upper House. Sources close to Mr Horatti said that Mr Gowda had promised to discuss the matter with Congress leaders when he met him in Hubballi last week. The Janata Dal (Secular) supremo reportedly informed him that he had received a good feedback from both his partymen and Congress leaders on his impartial handling of affairs in the House.

Mr Gowda’s assurance assumes significance as the Congress has staked claim to the Council chairman’s post on the basis of its strength in the House. In fact, the tug-of-war between the coalition partners over the post led to the recent budget session being conducted by the pro-tem chairman as an election could not be held for a full time chairman. Considering that the Congress has 31 members in 75-member House as against the JD(S)’s 18, former CM Siddaramaiah has been lobbying to make senior Congress MLC, S R Patil its chairman . But Mr Gowda is reportedly keen on Mr Horatti for the post as the Janata Dal (S) has given the post of Assembly Speaker to the Congress.

Going by sources, Mr Gowda is likely to talk to Congress president Rahul Gandhi about the matter and Deputy Chief Minister Dr G Parameshwar and AICC General Secretary in-charge of Karnataka affairs K.C. Venugopal, but not Mr Siddaramaiah. Mr Horatti, however, claimed Mr Gowda had only paid him a courtesy visit and nothing of importance was discussed at the meeting.