No-trust motion: Action-packed Karnataka council session likely on Dec 15

The Legislative Council session on Tuesday is likely to be stormy as the BJP is expected to push the no-confidence motion against chairperson K Pratapachandra Shetty, which is not listed in the agenda.

The official agenda, however, includes the contentious anti-cow slaughter Bill, Question Hour, the government's reply on the discussion on the flood situation and 'calling attention' notices.

Last week, eleven BJP MLCs moved a no-confidence motion against Shetty. The Council session was adjourned sine die on December 10. The upper house will meet again Tuesday after the state government mounted pressure on Shetty, saying the adjournment was 'abrupt'.

The Council secretariat has, in a response to the BJP on the motion, stated that it was not as per the procedure. "The Council chairperson has sought legal opinion in this matter and has found that the motion does not conform to the norms..." it said.

The Council secretary's response quotes 'Parliament Procedure' authored by Subhash Kashyap, where it is stated that any resolution for removal of the speaker should be specific with respect to charges.

Addressing media persons here on Monday, Leader of Opposition in the Upper House SR Patil said there was no scope to take up the no-confidence motion.

"The session was adjourned on Thursday as many legislators expressed that they had to prepare for the upcoming gram panchayat elections. As many as 25 MLCs are elected from local bodies and they are busy with the elections," Patil said.

The Congress MLCs also claimed that they had support of the JD(S) legislators. "When the chairperson was elected during the coalition government in 2018, the Congress had a strength of 37 and the JD(S) 16. Even though the coalition crumbled, the two parties have cooperated with each other in the Council," he said.

Meanwhile, BJP's floor leader Kota Srinivasa Poojary told DH that the Chairperson was obliged to take up the no-confidence motion for discussion when more than 10 people had signed it. "He cannot reject it and send a response. He has to take it up in the House," Poojary said, adding that as far as the ruling party was concerned, no-confidence motion was part of the session's agenda Tuesday.