Published Aug 07, 2026 | 2:35 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 07, 2026 | 2:35 PM
Basavaraj Horatti resigned after a meeting with Chief Minister DK Shivakumar.
Synopsis: The Congress accused Horatti of consulting BJP leaders before taking decisions as the Chairman, compromising the neutrality of the Chair, and alleged irregularities in the recruitment of eight Legislative Council staff during his tenure.
Karnataka Legislative Council Chairperson Basavaraj Horatti resigned on Friday, 7 August, even as the Congress planned to move a no-confidence motion against him.
The BJP leader’s resignation has now paved the way for the Congress to have one of its members—most probably Saleem Ahmed—preside over the council.
Horatti, on Thursday, had expressed willingness to resign after a meeting with Chief Minister DK Shivakumar the previous night. On Thursday, Congress state president BK Hariprasad had also met Horatti.
The Congress has an upper hand in the 75-member council, and the no-trust motion would have been passed without any difficulty. “That will be an embarrassment. I want to resign respectfully. I’ve told the CM that I’ll step down on August 14,” Deccan Herald quoted Horatti earlier.
Meanwhile, the Congress stepped up its offensive against Horatti, and decided to move a no-confidence motion. The party accused him of delaying his resignation and acting in a partisan manner.
The notice for the no-confidence motion being prepared on Friday accused Horatti of consulting BJP leaders before taking decisions as the Chairman, compromising the neutrality of the Chair, and alleged irregularities in the recruitment of eight Legislative Council staff during his tenure. Congress Chief Whip Ivan D’Souza was drafting the notice when Horatti stepped down.
The Council’s monsoon session would commence on 13 August.
Also Read: Gayathri Shanthegowda skips oath-taking ceremony amid uncertainty
In a separate development on Friday, the newly nominated Council member AV Gayathri Shanthegowda was sworn in at the office of Legislative Council Chairman Horatti. Chief Minister Shivakumar was present at the oath-taking ceremony.
Gayathri Shanthegowda will the lone woman minister in the Shivakumar-led Cabinet.
The event was attended by Karnataka Congress President Hariprasad, Minister Narendraswamy, Legislative Council Government Chief Whip Saleem Ahmed, MLA Prakash Koliwad, and MLCs S Ravi, Ivan D’Souza and HP Sudham Das, and others.
The Supreme Court had on 16 July declared Gayathri Shanthegowda elected from the Chikkamagaluru Local Authorities’ Constituency. Her election came after the court disqualified BJP MLC MK Pranesh, who was elected to the Legislative Council in December 2021.
On 3 August, Shivakumar named her as a minister when he expanded his Cabinet. However, she was later dropped from the list.
