BENGALURU: Karnataka Legislative Council Chairman Basavaraj Horatti resigned on Friday, alleging that he was pressured by the Congress government to step down.Horatti told news agency PTI that Congress leaders had informed him that they would move a no-confidence motion against him if he did not resign.Before resigning, Horatti met Shivakumar and Congress state president B K Hariprasad, who is also an MLC, and said he would resign.In his resignation letter, he wrote that he was resigning ‘voluntarily’.“I have already submitted my resignation and the matter is over now,” he said.He also admitted that he was under pressure to resign.Horatti, who was earlier with the Janata Dal (Secular), joined the BJP on May 18, 2022, a year before the Congress came to power in Karnataka.The Congress government, led by D K Shivakumar, allegedly mounted pressure on him to step down ahead of the Legislative Session beginning August 13.After the resignation was submitted, Shivakumar told reporters that he had a meeting with Horatti, explaining to him the ‘political realities’.“He (Horatti) himself has very respectfully tendered his resignation today, and it has been accepted,” Shivakumar said.The chief minister added that he has requested him to continue as chairman until a new chairman is elected.“On August 14, there will be an election for the Chairman of the Council. There will also be an election for the Deputy Chairman, and he (Horatti) will act as the pro-tem Chairman. After the Deputy Chairman is elected, we will keep the process of electing the Council Chairman on the same evening,” Shivakumar said.(With agency inputs)
