Bangalore: Deputy Speaker’s Post – Yogish Bhat is BJP’s Candidate
Daijiworld Media Network – Bangalore (SP)
Bangalore, Jan 8: Mangalore city south MLA, N Yogish Bhat, will be fielded by the BJP as the party’s candidate for the post of the deputy speaker of the state assembly. Bhat, a four-time MLA, will file his nomination before the deadline, which is 2 pm on Monday. Election for the post will be held on Tuesday January 11.
The post of the deputy speaker in the state assembly remains vacant since about a year. It is customary for the government to leave this post for a candidate from the main opposition party. However, the BJP this time has opted to break this custom and have its own party man get elected to this post.
Bhat’s seniority was expected to get him a ministerial berth. But the pulls and pushes from powerful lobbyists ensured that people much junior to him became ministers. Bhat, who is presently the chairman of Karnataka Industrial Investment and Development Corporation, has made it amply clear that he is not aspiring for any post, and that he would abide by what the party leadership wants him to do.
The BJP has perhaps chosen to play it safe and have the candidate of its choice in this post, considering the precarious position in which the party finds itself in the assembly, after the disqualification of 11 legislators.