BJP-JD(S) to join hands for Legislative Council Chairman and Dy Chairman post in Karnataka
Bengaluru: After several rounds of discussions, the ruling BJP on Wednesday decided to join hands with the JD(S) for the post of Karnataka Legislative Council Chairman and Deputy Chairman.
As per the arrangement, BJP will support JD(S) for the Chairman's post, while the regional party will return the favour by ceding the Deputy Chairman's post, top party sources said.
While senior JD(S) MLC Basavaraj Horatti will be the nominee for the Chairman's post, the BJP is fielding M K Pranesh for the post of Deputy Chairman.
Pranesh will file his nomination papers on Thursday and the election to the Deputy Chairmans post is scheduled on January 29.
The decision to support JD(S) for the Chairman's post and to field Pranesh as BJP's nominee for Deputy Chairman was arrived at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa with party MLCs and a few senior Ministers.
Earlier in the day Horatti met Yediyurappa in this regard and sought the BJP's support.
JD(S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda has already spoken to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president J P Nadda seeking the ruling party's support, he had said.
"I met the Chief Minister. Yesterday our (JDS) 13 MLCs, H D Deve Gowda and H D Kumaraswamy (party leader and former CM) had held discussions, and we have decided to ask for council Chairman post and to support them (BJP) for the Deputy Chairman post," Horatti said.
Speaking to reporters here after meeting Yediyurappa, he said "I'm the senior member in the House (council) and there is a general opinion among everyone that I should be made (the Chairman).
...so we are asking for the Chairman's post and will support them (BJP) for that of Deputy Chairman."
The election for the post of Chairman and Deputy Chairman will take place during the joint session of the state legislature, beginning from Thursday.
There are all indications that the incumbent Chairman K Pratapachandra Shetty, who is from the Congress, may resign soon, as the ruling BJP has moved a no-confidence motion against him, which is likely to be supported by the JD (S).
The post of the Deputy Chairman has fallen vacant following JD(S)' S L Dharme Gowda's alleged death by suicide last month.
Noting that discussions have taken place with the Prime Minister and Nadda, Horatti said Deve Gowda has told them that he (Horatti) should be given a chance as Chairman of the upper house, considering his seniority.
"Nadda had asked for my bio-data, which has been sent. He has told Gowda that their decision will be communicated to the party (BJP) state president," he said earlier today.
According to BJP sources, the ruling party agreed to support Horatti in return for the regional party's support in its move to oust Shetty and ensure passage of certain key bills.
The earlier move by both parties in December to remove Shetty as Chairman was not successful as their notice of no- confidence was rejected on technical grounds.
The House had witnessed high drama that day with BJP-JDS and Congress members hurling abuses and pushing each other.
Amid the ruckus on December 15, the then Deputy Chairman Dharme Gowda was even pulled down from the Chair.
Currently the ruling BJP is the single largest party in the Council with 31 seats, followed by Congress with 29, including the chairman, JD(S) 13, one independent and one vacant (due to death of Dharme Gowda).
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Bengali actor Rahul Arunoday Banerjee drowns in sea
Kolkata (PTI): Popular Bengali actor Rahul Arunoday Banerjee died on Sunday after drowning in the sea at Talsari beach in Odisha, film industry sources said.
He was 43, and left behind his 13-year-old son and actor-wife Priyanka Sarkar.
He had gone to the beach, located near Digha in West Bengal's Purba Medinipur district, for shooting a Bengali soap titled 'Bhole Baba Par Karega', his co-actor Diganta Bagchi said.
"After today's shoot, he went alone to the water but somehow got entangled in something under the water... The exact circumstances are not clear. Suddenly, people, including crew members, were shouting that Rahul was drowning and we pulled him out of the water. We rushed him to Digha hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead," Bagchi said.
A West Bengal Police officer said the actor was declared dead at Digha hospital after being brought from a sea beach in neighbouring Odisha.
"We have contacted our counterparts in Odisha to ascertain the sequence of events. A case of unnatural death has been registered in Digha police station as well. We are also talking to his production team members and eyewitnesses," he said.
Expressing grief over the incident, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said in a statement, "I am shocked, deeply saddened to hear the news that the distinguished, young, and popular actor Rahul Arunoday Banerjee is suddenly no longer among us."
"I am unable to comprehend what exactly happened. He was one of my favourite actors and a person I truly admired. I extend my heartfelt condolences to his bereaved family, loved ones, and countless admirers," she added.
"Rahul's sudden passing is an irreparable loss to the Bengali entertainment industry, to both Tollywood and television," she pointed out.
Rahul, known in the Bengali television industry for his character roles, had been active in soaps for several years.
He shot to fame with his role in the blockbuster 'Chirodini tumi je amar' in 2008, followed by a string of hits such as 'Tumi asbe bole' (2014), 'Zulfiqar' (2016), 'Byomkesh Gotro' (2018), 'Biday Byomkesh' (2018), 'The Academy of Fine Arts' (2025), among others.
He had acted in TV serials such as 'Hargouri pice hotel' and 'Mohonna'.
Expressing shock over the news, director Raj Chakraborty said, "After I received phone calls about his death, I wished it was not true. But, later it was confirmed."
Chakraborty, who had directed 'Chirodini tumi je amar', casting Rahul in the lead role, said he was a spontaneous actor and had immense possibilities.
"I am in a state of shock," he said.
Actor-director Anjan Dutta said he had known Rahul for many years and was not in a condition to speak about the incident.
