Congress' UT Khader files nomination for Karnataka speaker

BENGALURU: Five-time MLA UT Khader and senior Congress leader on Tuesday filed his nominations for the post of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly Speaker.

His candidature will be formalised during the Congress Legislature's Party meeting scheduled on May 24. If appointed, Khader will become the first Muslim leader to serve in the post of the Speaker of the Karnataka Assembly.

Khader who served as Deputy Leader of the Opposition when BJP was in power in the State (2019-2023) was today accompanied by chief minister Siddaramaiah and deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar as he filed his nomination to the post of Speaker.

Born on October 1, 1969, Khader is a 5-time MLA from Mangaluru and if appointed to the post will become the youngest Speaker of the Karnataka State Assembly.

Khader holds a law degree and served as the Health, and Food and Civil Supplies Minister in the Siddaramaiah-led government during 2013-18 and held the portfolios of Housing and Urban Development in the JD(S)-Congress coalition government in 2018-19.

Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Monday administered the oath of office to senior Congress leader RV Deshpande as pro-tem Speaker for the Legislative Assembly session.

Two days after senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah took oath as the new Chief Minister of Karnataka, the first Legislative Assembly session in the southern state began on Monday. It will be held for three days till May 24.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's son Priyank Kharge, party's MLAs G Parameshwara and MB Patil were among eight MLAs who took oath on Saturday.

The other MLAs who took oath included KH Muniyappa, KJ George, Satish Jarkiholi, Ramalinga Reddy and BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan. Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot administered the oath of office and secrecy to the MLAs at the swearing-in ceremony held at the jam-packed Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday.

Congress bagged 135 seats in the May 10 elections to the 224-member Karnataka Assembly ousting the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which got 66 seats while the Janata Dal (Secular) secured 19 seats in the results declared on May 13.