Congress leader U T Khader files nomination for Karnataka Assembly Speaker post
Bengaluru (PTI): Former minister and five-time MLA U T Khader on Tuesday filed his nomination as Congress candidate for the post of Speaker of Karnataka Legislative Assembly.
Khader, an MLA from Mangaluru Assembly segment, filed his nomination at the office of Assembly Secretary, in the presence of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan and other Congress leaders.
Election to the post of Speaker is scheduled for Wednesday.
As per the convention, the ruling party's nominee is, generally, unanimously elected as the Speaker.
If elected, Khader will be the first Muslim leader to serve in the post of Speaker of Karnataka Assembly.
Khader had served as Deputy Leader of Opposition in the previous Assembly and had also served as a minister in the past.
#WATCH | Bengaluru | Karnataka Congress leader and 5-time MLA, UT Khader files nomination for the Speaker of Vidhana Soudha.
— ANI (@ANI) May 23, 2023
The 5-time MLA is set to become the youngest Speaker of the State Assembly. pic.twitter.com/ZbAkLY9XPN
UT Khader filing his nomination as speaker. #Karnataka pic.twitter.com/saSBldAUOu
— Imran Khan (@KeypadGuerilla) May 23, 2023
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NDA to boycott Feb 5 TN bypoll, says BJP leader Annamalai
The BJP-led NDA has decided to boycott the Erode East bypoll scheduled for February 5 and would focus on dethroning the ruling DMK in the hustings next year, the saffron party's state unit said on Sunday.
The BJP's announcement virtually makes the election a no-contest as the main opposition AIADMK and the DMDK have already announced boycotting the byelections necessitated by the death of Congress MLA EVKS Elangovan. The DMK has nominated VC Chandrakumar on behalf of its-led bloc, which also has the Congress in the alliance.
BJP TN chief K Annamalai said the upcoming elections were a “byelection for a byelection”, following the bypoll held here in 2022. He recalled there were accusations of the ruling DMK then "confining" people at designated places.
The NDA faced the DMK violating poll rules due to the "arrogance" of being the ruling party.
"The coming 2026 Assembly polls are one meant to remove the DMK (from the ruling saddle), and the NDA is moving towards that target and does not want to allow the DMK to confine people like cattle once again," he said in a statement.
"All leaders of the NDA who wish for people's welfare, after detailed consultation, have decided to boycott the Erode East bypoll. Our target is to remove the DMK in the 2026 elections and give the NDA's good governance to people," Annamalai said.
The state has been pushed to a "dark period" with no safety for various sections of society and the DMK government was an "anti-people" one where law and order has also failed, the former IPS officer alleged.
NDA constituents in the state include Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK).
Incidentally, the AIADMK that was a part of the NDA in 2022 had fielded its nominee in that year's bypoll to Erode East seat but lost to Congress' Elangovan, who faced the elections following the death of his son and local MLA E Thirumahan Everaa.
