BANGALORE: The Government will take a formal decision on holding election to the post of Legislative Council Chairman on Thursday.

Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa told the Upper House on Wednesday that the Cabinet, which was scheduled to meet on Thursday, would take the decision. The Cabinet would also forward its decision to the Governor and request him to suggest a convenient date for the election.

Mr. Yediyurappa made the statement in the Council when Opposition members took exception to the delay in holding the election even after the Governor sent a message.

"I assure you that the decision on holding the election will be taken tomorrow hundred per cent," Mr. Yediyurappa said when Leader of the Opposition H.K. Patil alleged that the Government was insulting the Governor by ignoring his message.

Higher Education Minister D.H. Shankaramurthy, who is the Leader of the Upper House, claimed that the issue had to be brought before the Cabinet before making a request to the Governor.

Mr. Shankaramurthy said the Government was not against holding election to the Chairman's post. But it got delayed due to various reasons. "We would have taken a decision on holding the election even if the Governor had not sent his message," he claimed.

Dharna

Meanwhile, the Congress members staged a dharna in the well of the House and disrupted the proceedings in the morning session alleging that the file regarding a decision made by the presiding officer of the Council had been tampered with.

It started when Mr. Patil demanded that a resolution moved by him recently to thank the Governor for his message and also to request him to suggest the date for holding election to the Chairman's post, should be taken up for discussion.

Patil's contention

Mr. Patil stated that "Mukhyamanthri" Chandru, who was in the chair on March 14 when he moved the resolution, told the House that a decision on whether such a resolution should be accepted would be taken later.

But Mr. Khot, who read out the decision of the Chair from the file, said Mr. Chandru had rejected the resolution on that day itself and had not made any statement on taking a decision later.

This angered the Congress members who remarked that Mr. Chandru's statement — that he would take a decision later — had been recorded by TV channels also reported in the media.

They also alleged that the actual statement of Mr. Chandru had been tampered with in the file.

The House was adjourned for nearly two hours following the dharna. However, when the House re-assembled, the Congress members withdrew their dharna following an assurance by Mr. Khot that he would examine the matter.

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