Laxman Savadi cakewalks into Legislative Council

Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi on Monday was elected a member of the Legislative Council by securing 113 votes.

Now, Savadi can continue in office as Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa’s deputy for the next three years of the term of the current government. As MLC, Savadi’s term will expire in June 2022. Savadi replaced Congress’ Rizwan Arshad in the Council. Arshad’s seat fell vacant after he was elected to the Legislative Assembly from Shivajinagar constituency.

The bypoll to fill up the vacant MLC seat was crucial for Savadi, who lost the 2018 Assembly election. Unelected, Savadi had time till February 19 to join either one of the Houses to continue in office.

While the Congress and the JD(S) abstained from voting, former JD(S) minister G T Devegowda cast his vote. “I have voted, but I’m not supposed to say anything more,” he said. This irked JD(S) legislature party leader H D Kumaraswamy. “Instead of attending our legislature party meeting, he was hobnobbing with the leaders of another party,” Kumaraswamy said. “If he voted, shouldn’t he be disqualified? Anyway, let’s not discuss him. He keeps coming and going. Our doors are open for those who want to come in and go out.”