Sixteen newly-elected MLAs did not turn up atVidhana Soudha on May 23 to take oath as members of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly. A total of 208 MLAs took oath on May 22-23.
Pro tem Speaker R.V. Deshpande informed the House that 16 newly elected MLAs did not come to the House to take the oath as members of the Assembly and that they could not, therefore, participate in the elections to the post of Speaker, which is scheduled on Wednesday, May 24.
He appealed to the 16 members to come to his chamber to take the oath by the end of the day so that they would be able totake part in the election to the post of Speaker, and adjourned the House for the day.
On May 23, five-time MLA U.T. Khader filed his nomination papers for the post of Speaker and is expected to be elected unanimously on May 24.
On Tuesday, Harish Poonja of the BJP, who was elected from Belthangady constituency in Dakshina Kannada district, took oath in the name of Sri Ramachandra, while Sharanu Salagar, representing Basavakalyan Assembly seat, took the oath in the name of Shivaji and Basaveshwara.
B.Y. Vijayendra of the BJP (Shikaripura) took oath in the name of the local deity of his constituency. Laxmi Hebbalkar of the Congress (Belagavi) took oath in the name of Basaveshwara.
G.K. Venkata Shivareddy of the JD(S), representing Srinivaspura in Kolar district, and Udaya K.M. of the Congress, representing Maddur, took oath in the name of voters.
