Justice Ananda is unanimous choice for Upalokayukta post

A committee headed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday unanimously selected the name of retired High Court judge Justice N Ananda for the post of Upalokayukta.

Siddaramaiah told reporters that the acting Chief Justice of the High Court of Karnataka Subhro Kamal Mukherjee had furnished a list of three names, including that of Justice Ananda. The proposal will be sent to Governor Vajubhai Vala for his assent.

Aside from the chief minister, Legislative Assembly Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa, Legislative Council Chairman D H Shankaramurthy, and Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Jagadish Shettar were present in the meeting. Mukherjee and Leader of the Opposition in the Council, K S Eshwarappa, who are also part of the committee, did not make it to the meeting. Siddaramaiah said that the committee had contacted Eshwarappa over phone to convey the decision and that the BJP leader too gave his consent.

‘Clean record’
Shettar told reporters that the members had unanimously zeroed in on Justice Ananda, because of his “clean” record. “The chief justice (acting) had earlier recommended three names - Justices K L Manjunath, Ajit Gunjal and Ananda.

Manjunath’s name has been rejected. We have decided to propose the name of the individual who has had a clean record during his entire service,” he said.

When asked why Justice Gunjal’s name was not considered, Shettar said, “We selected the best. Both justices are equally good, but we had to pick only one name.”