The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Mathikatti elected Council Chairman

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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Mathikatti elected Council Chairman

Special Correspondent

Shashil G. Namoshi withdraws papers

Veeranna Mathikatti

BANGALORE: The 108th session of the State Legislative Council has elected the 60-year-old Veeranna Mathikatti as its 23rd Chairman unanimously on Tuesday.

Although Mr. Mathikatti’s election was a confirmed affair after the formalities of the contest, the BJP has facilitated the election of the Chairman unanimously by withdrawing its candidature for “setting a tradition.”

As the House assembled for electing the Chairman, the BJP candidate Shashil G. Namoshi said that he would like to withdraw his candidature to make for a consensus candidate for the coveted post and setting a tradition befitting the stature of the House.

Welcoming the BJP’s decision, the officiating Chairman N. Thippanna announced that Mr. Mathikatti, who was proposed by M.V. Rajashekharan, S.R. Patil, V.R. Sudarshan, Motamma and Prakash K. Rathod and seconded by an equal number of Congress members, has been elected unanimously.

Congratulating Mr. Mathikatti on his election to the prestigious post unopposed, Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa said that the Government would expect Mr. Mathikatti to follow the great tradition set by many learned persons and statesmen such as K.T. Bhashyam, P. Seetharamaiah and V. Venkatappa in conducting the business of the House, which upheld the dignity and decorum of the House.

Recalling the significant social services of Mr. Mathikatti, Leader of the House V.S. Acharya said: “Some members of the House may take objection to my observation on the way we have been conducting the business of the House. But I cannot overlook my thoughts. We have wasted enough of time since Independence.”

The Government would expect the newly elected Chairman would look at the issues in a balanced manner forgetting his party affiliations, Dr. Acharaya said. Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council V. S. Ugrappa thanked the party High Command for selecting a person of Mr. Mathikatti’s stature for the post.

Asking Mr. Mathikatti to remember that he ceased to be a member of the Congress, Mr. Nanaiah said: “The way the Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatarjee conducted himself during the trust vote defying his party’s whip is a model for all those who hold and aspire the posts of the Houses at all levels.”

Clarifying that he was not an aspirant for the post as a section of media had speculated, V.R. Sudarshan, who held the coveted post for over a year, said he was an aspirant for the post of the Leader of the Opposition and he did not do anything wrong by expressing his aspiration with confidence and merit.

A veteran

Born on November 1, 1948 into an agriculture Lingayat family at Yavgal village in Ron taluk of Gadag district, Mr. Mathikatti holds a degree each in science and law. He joined the Congress in 1970 and worked as the general secretary of the State unit of the NSUI from 1972 to 1974. He was elected to the Assembly in 1978. He was president of the Karnataka Pradesh Youth Congress Committee from 1978 to 1981. He was the president of the Karnataka Pradesh Kisan Congress Committee for two terms.

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