Karnataka: Pattan, Saleem Ahmed are chief whips

Karnataka Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot addresses the joint session of state assembly, at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on Monday. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah Speaker UT Khader Farid, Karnataka Legislative Council Speaker Basavaraja Horatti, and others are present. Credit: DIPR Photo

Senior Congress MLA Ashok Pattan (Ramdurg) has been appointed as the government chief whip in the Legislative Assembly. His counterpart in the Legislative Council will be Karnataka Congress working president Saleem Ahmed. Senior Congress MLA T B Jayachandra, who was sulking after not being made a minister, has been nominated as the government's special representative to New Delhi. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has informed Legislative Council chairperson Basavaraj Horatti that Science & Technology Minister N S Boseraju will be the floor leader in the Upper House.

Sharada Puryanaik is JD(S) dy leader

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In a surprise move, the JD(S) has elected Shimoga Rural MLA Sharada Puryanaik as its deputy leader in the Legislative Assembly. Sharada will be JD(S) legislature party leader H D Kumaraswamy's deputy. Sharada is the first woman to be the JD(S) deputy leader. The regional party had earlier decided to elect Chikkanayakanahalli MLA Suresh Babu as the deputy leader.

Preamble: Speaker, MLAs spar

Several MLAs objected to one version of the Constitution's Preamble that Speaker UT Khader administered in the Assembly on Monday. MLAs complained that the copy of the Preamble circulated to them was different from the one Khader read out. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah later convinced MLAs and said that while there was some difference, the essence of the Preamble was the same in both versions.

'Who'll do Ajit Pawar in K'taka?'

In a cryptic jibe, former JD(S) chief minister H D Kumaraswamy said on Monday that Karnataka could see its own Ajit Pawar. "One Ajit Pawar has come out in Maharashtra. We're waiting for one Ajit Pawar to emerge in Karnataka," he said, referring to the BJP's criticism that there is a coalition government in the state.

Come on time, Speaker tells MLAs

Speaker U T Khader has asked all MLAs to come to the Assembly at least 15 mins before ahead of schedule. Advising them to take part in debates, Khader said: "Select MLAs who are active will be sent to national and international leadership programmes. I urge each one of you to come on time and be active in the House."