Bengaluru, Dec 15 (IANS): Janata Dal (S) senior leader Basavaraj Horatti on Tuesday said that the time has come to seek the dismissal of incumbent Legislative Council chairman K. Pratapchandra Shetty, who is sticking to his post despite losing the mandate.

Speaking to reporters after handing over his party's letter of support to the Legislative Council secretary K. R. Mahalakshmi here, Horatti said that the JD(S) officially stood with the BJP to oust the Council chairman.

"Whenever the government decides to convene a session in this regard, we will support their decision to oust Congress party-backed K. Pratapchandra Shetty," he said.

He added that it was not right on Shetty's part to not list a no-confidence motion subject in the council agenda on December 10, on a day in which the session was adjourned sine die.

In response to a question, Horatti observed that in his long span of 42 years as a member of the Legislative Council, he had never witnessed such an indecent show of power grab.

"I am deeply pained by the way and manner our members (irrespective of party lines) behaved in the Council. Karnataka council has a history of 113 years and it is one of the oldest temples of democracy," he said.

In December 2018, under similar circumstances, the Congress had dislodged then Legislative Council chairman D. H. Shankarmurthy, belonging to the BJP, by taking the support of the JD(S) which had 14 members, while the Congress had the backing of 35 members including Independents.