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Bengaluru: Governor Vajubhai Vala on Friday appointed K.G. Bopaiah as the pro-tem speaker of the Karnataka Assembly for administering oath to the newly elected legislative assembly members and conducting the Supreme Court-ordered floor test on Saturday, a decision denounced by the Congress.
Bopaiah, an old RSS hand, was administered the oath as pro-tem speaker by Vala.
Bopaiah was the speaker of the Karnataka Assembly between 2009 and 2013.
Considered close to Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, he had disqualified 11 disgruntled Bharatiya Janata Party and five independent lawmakers ahead of a trust vote to help the Yeddyurappa government in 2011.
His decision was upheld by the Karnataka High Court but overturned by the Supreme Court, which said Bopaiah had acted in haste.
”Shocking decision by the Honble Governor.. Constitutional Convention says the seniormost, in this case R.V. Deshpande shouldve been named. Also Supreme Court had passed structures (sic) against the conduct of K.G. Bopiah as Speaker. Sad to see Vajubhai Valaji behaving like an agent of BJP,” senior Congress leader Dinesh Gundu Rao said in reaction to Bopaiah's appointment.
Usually the senior-most member of the Assembly is appointed the pro-tem speaker to administer oath to the newly elected members of legislative assembly.
R.V. Deshpande of the Congress party is the senior-most in the new House.
