BJP's M K Pranesh is Council's deputy chairman

BJP MLC M K Pranesh was elected as the deputy chairman of the Karnataka Legislative Council on Friday. Pranesh succeeds late S L Dharme Gowda. The election to the post was necessitated owing to Gowda’s recent demise.

Pranesh, a first time MLC elected in 2014 from Chikkamagaluru Local Authorities, won against Congress candidate K C Kondaiah who secured 24 votes against the former’s 41 votes. Eight members were absent.

Pranesh (58) comes from an RSS background and has been part of the BJP since 1989. “My journey into politics began when L K Advani began the rath yatra for Ram Mandir,” he recounts. Pranesh began his political journey along with the BJP national general secretary C T Ravi. Both leaders hail from the same region. The deputy chairperson holds a BA degree from the University of Mysore.

Taking on the new mantle on Friday, Pranesh said he was strongly influenced by the “Sangh’s discipline,” with which his association has been from his childhood. “I have always believed in taking along all parties together. I will do the same in my new position,” he assured.

Pranesh’s election to the post was an outcome of the BJP-JD(S) alliance in the Legislative Council. While earlier, the BJP is said to have been eyeing the chairperson’s post, the JD(S) pushed for the candidature of its leader Basavaraj Horatti to head the Council. As a result, the ruling party settled for the deputy chair’s post.

The BJP having moved a no-confidence motion against the current chairperson Pratapchandra Shetty, it is expected that Shetty will soon resign from the post. The ruling party’s no-confidence motion against the Congress leader, was backed by the JD(S).

With the BJP-JD(S) alliance in the Upper House, the Congress lacks numbers. At present, BJP has 31 MLCs, Congress 28 and JD(S) 13 along with four independents. One MLC seat is vacant.