Karnataka Assembly: Three newly elected MLAs take oath

Belagavi (Karnataka): Three newly elected Congress legislators took oath as members of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly here on Monday.

Soon after the winter session of the Assembly commenced at Suvarna Vidhana Soudha here, E Annapoorna, Yasir Ahmed Khan Pathan and C P Yogeeshwara -- who were elected as MLAs in the by-polls to three segments -- Sandur, Shiggaon and Channapatna respectively, took oath as legislators.

In the by-polls held on November 13, Congress candidate Annapoorna, the wife of Bellary MP E Tukaram had won the seat vacated by her husband; while in Shiggaon Pathan had defeated former CM Basavaraj Bommai's son Bharath Bommai of BJP.

Yogeeshwara had won the Channapatna segment, defeating JD(S) candidate and Kumaraswamy's son Nikhil Kumaraswamy.

Congress' tally in the 224-member Assembly now stands at 136, other than the Speaker.

Belagavi, bordering Maharashtra, has been hosting legislature sessions once a year since 2006.

Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, modelled on the Vidhana Soudha, the state secretariat in Bengaluru, was built as an assertion that Belagavi is an integral part of Karnataka.

Maharashtra claims Belagavi and some nearby places belong to it.