I was forced to resign as Karnataka Council Chairman, says Basavaraj Horatti

Hubballi (Karnataka), Aug 11 (IANS) Former Karnataka Legislative Council Chairman Basavaraj Horatti on Tuesday said he had to sign his resignation letter under compulsion, alleging that he was not given the opportunity to resign on the day he had planned.

Speaking to reporters in Hubballi, Horatti said he had conveyed all details regarding his resignation to the Governor, but had not received any communication confirming whether his resignation had been accepted.

“I have conveyed everything to the Governor in this regard. The Governor has not given me any intimation. He has not stated whether I have been relieved or whether my resignation has been accepted. As far as I know, if I have been appointed as the pro tem Chairman, it means my resignation has been accepted,” Horatti said.

Horatti expressed disappointment over the state government’s handling of the issue and said he was hurt by the developments.

“I am pained by the move of the state government. I have not done anything wrong. I am saddened. I have been in the House for 46 years and have rendered my services. I had to resign under a compulsive situation. I did not want a confrontational situation,” he said.

Horatti said he had discussed the timing of his resignation with Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and that there had been an understanding between them on the matter.

“What I had discussed with the Chief Minister was that on August 13, we would complete the obituary references and on August 14, the Vice Chairman would be elected. I had said that on that day, I would get an opportunity to convey my gratitude. I had told him that after expressing my gratitude on that day, I would tender my resignation. I had also made an announcement to this effect,” he said.

“There was an agreement between us in this regard,” Horatti maintained.

Horatti’s remarks come amid a controversy over his resignation from the Legislative Council Chairman’s post. He indicated that he had expected to complete the proceedings and formally bid farewell to the House before stepping down.

He also claimed Chief Minister Shivakumar had insisted that he sign the resignation on the same day, leaving him with little choice.

Horatti, one of the longest-serving legislators in Karnataka, said he had wanted to avoid a confrontation and had therefore complied with the demand despite being unhappy with the manner in which the resignation was handled.

It can be recalled that amid the politics surrounding the Karnataka Legislative Council Chairman’s post, Basavaraj Horatti tendered his resignation as Chairman of the Upper House of the state legislature on Friday.

The resignation letter was shared by the Chief Minister’s Office. The development came after Horatti met Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar in the morning, followed by another meeting at the Chairman’s office later in the afternoon.

Chief Minister Shivakumar, Karnataka Congress President and MLC B.K. Hariprasad, Congress MLC Saleem Ahmed, who has been nominated by the party for the post of Chairman, and other senior leaders met Horatti and held discussions over the issue.

In his three-line resignation letter addressed to the Deputy Chairman of the Legislative Council, Horatti stated that he was tendering his resignation of his own free will.

Legislative Council Secretary Jyothi issued a notification immediately stating that following Horatti’s resignation, the post of Chairman has fallen vacant.

–IANS

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