Karnataka budget session begins today

BENGALURU: Major political parties in Karnataka are gearing up for the joint session beginning from Friday.

The session will be the last Assembly before the state elections.

It is also going to be the last Assembly session for veteran BJP leader, former Chief Minister and BJP Central Parliamentary Board member B.S.Yediyurappa, who has announced his retirement from four decades of electoral politics.

The political parties are planning a respectful farewell during the session for Lingayat strongman, who brought the BJP to power for the first time in south India.

The BJP leaders are planning a vote of thanks during the discussion on the budget. Yediyurappa entered politics in 1983.

Barring 1999 elections, he won all elections from the Shikaripura Assembly constituency till 2018.He won the parliamentary elections with one of the highest leads in the country.

He built the party with other senior leaders like late former Union minister Anantha Kumar and others from two seats in the state to present day party which has become a powerful force in the state.

Yediyurappa is now keen on handing over the baton to his son B.Y.Vijayendra, who is presently BJP Vice President in the state.However, the party is yet to take a call on fielding Vijayendra from Shikaripura constituency, which is represented by Yediyurappa presently.

Apart from this, Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot will address the joint session.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai will present the last budget of the ruling BJP government on February 17.

The session will be in motion till February 24.

The authorities have clamped prohibitory orders in the two km surroundings of the Vidhana Soudha.

Speaker Visveshwara Hegde Kaegri has directed all legislators to participate actively in the last session.

The session will debate on the Governor’s speech and later the discussion on the budget will take place between February 20 and 24.

The Assembly secretary’s office has received 1,300 questions so far, to be discussed during the session.

Some of them will be answered on the floor of the House.Written answers would be provided to the rest.

Seven bills will be tabled, including six private universities bills. Major political parties, ruling BJP, the opposition Congress and JD(S) leaders have organised various political programmes during the time of session.

As a result of this, major leaders are likley to remain absent for most of the session Political Speaker Vishveshwara Hegde Kageri has indirectly referred to this by stating that the attendance of representatives of the leaders in the session is likely to fall in the backdrop of various political engagements.