Bopaiah tipped to be Assembly Speaker

A new Assembly Speaker will be elected Wednesday following K R Ramesh Kumar's resignation, and the ruling BJP is considering nominating senior legislator K G Bopaiah for the position.

Besides Bopaiah, the BJP is also looking at former minister Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri for the job.

Candidates for the Speaker's post have to file their nomination by 12 noon Tuesday with the Assembly Secretariat.

It is said, the BJP was keen on fielding former minister S Suresh Kumar for the post. In fact, Suresh Kumar was nominated for the post last year, but the five-time Rajajinagar MLA backed out as Ramesh Kumar was elected unanimously. This time, Suresh Kumar has conveyed to the party his 'reluctance' to be the Speaker.

A senior BJP leader, under the condition of anonymity, said the party may nominate Bopaiah as the Speaker.

Discussion on selecting a candidate for the post commenced at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, after the Legislative Assembly was adjourned till 5 pm on Monday. At this meeting, former chief minister Jagadish Shettar's name also came up for consideration, according to sources.

Bopaiah had served as pro-term speaker ahead of Ramesh Kumar's election, last year. The Virajpet MLA had earlier served as Speaker from 2009 to 2013. He had then incurred the wrath of the Supreme Court when he disqualified 16 MLAs who had rebelled against Yediyurappa, the then CM.