Karnataka Guv appoints controversial lawmaker Bopaiah as pro tem Speaker

Bengaluru, May 18

Governor Vajubhai Vala appointed former Karnataka speaker KG Bopaiah as pro tem Speaker as BS Yeddyurappa proves his majority in the floor of the newly elected House on Saturday.
The Congress has protested the Governor’s action, and threatened to move court.”What the BJP has done is against the rule book. Ideally the senior most leader is supposed to hold that position,” Congress Abhishek Manu Singhvi said at a press briefing.
Bopaiah was Speaker of Karnataka Assembly between 2009 and 2013. His term had been controversial, with the Supreme Court overturning his order disqualifying 13 lawmakers two days before Yeddyurappa was scheduled to prove his majority in a floor test on October 12, 2011, following corruption allegations.
The Supreme Court on Friday told Yedyurappa to prove his majority in a floor test at 4 pm on Saturday.
The court was hearing a petition of Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) against the governor’s invite to the BJP despite not having the numbers.
The recently held Karnataka elections threw up a fractured mandate. Although the BJP emerged the single largest party, the Congress with 78 seats and the JD (S) with 38 cobbled up a coalition quickly to claim they had the numbers to form the government.
Yedyyurappa was sworn in on Thursday.