BJP, JD(S) petition for ouster of Lokayukta

The Opposition BJP and the JD(S) on Tuesday submitted separate petitions to presiding officers of the Legislative Assembly and Council seeking to move a motion for removal of Lokayukta Y Bhaskar Rao.

Both the parties contend in their petitions that the present Lokayukta should be removed on grounds of “misconduct” and “incompetence”.

It is now up to Assembly Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa and Council Chairman D H Shankaramurthy to decide whether to allow a motion or not. If they allow the motion under   the provisions of the Karnataka Lokayukta (Amendment) Act, 2015, Justice Rao will be precluded from discharging his duties during the pendency of the motion.

In the Lower House, as many as 46 BJP and 36 JD(S) MLAs signed the petition, while in the Upper House 29 BJP and 12 JD(S) MLCs signed on the dotted line, meeting the numbers (one third of the total strength of each of the two houses) required to move a motion for removal of the Lokayukta.