PTI

Bangalore, Jun 5: Jagadish Shettar, a BJP leader from North Karnataka, is all set to become the speaker of the newly constituted state assembly as he is the lone contestant for the post.

Shettar, accompanied by Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, filed his nomination for the post on Wednesday.

He is the only contestant for the post and his election is expected to be formally declared on Thursday.

With numbers not in its favour, the Congress chose not to field a candidate nor was there any understanding with JDS to have a common nominee.

BJP has 110 members in the 224-member house with six independents supporting the government. The opposition has a total strength of 108 - 80 of the Congress and 28 of the JDS.

“I am sure Shettar would discharge his responsibility and it's the fortune of the state he has become the speaker given his vast experience”, Yeddyurappa told reporters, adding, he expected cooperation from the opposition.

He said he met JDS supremo H D Devegowda and his son and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, who expressed their willingness to cooperate with the government.

Shettar was initially reluctant to take up the speaker's post saying it would curtail his activities in interacting with the people and carry out public service. However, after the intervention of BJP's central leadership, he accepted it.

“The speaker's post has its own importance in the constitution. I agreed to become speaker on my own”, he told reporters after filing the nomination.