Janata Dal (Secular) MLC Puttanna was on Tuesday elected Deputy Chairman of the Legislative Council unopposed.
However, immediately after the completion of the formality, senior leader from the party Basavaraj Horatti reiterated his earlier stand that it was not in good taste to dethrone chairman and deputy chairman of the Council based on the numerical strength of a party.
Horatti, while congratulating Puttanna, said that it was not correct to make a woman (refering to Vimala Gowda) step down.
He likened the posts of chairman and deputy chairman to that of judges. It was not proper to mount pressure on them to quit. “They not only suffer mental pressure but also feel embarrassed,” he added. Leader of the House and IT Minister S R Patil also endorsed Horatti’s views.
However, BJP floor leader K S Eshwarappa said that asking some one to step down from a post does not amount to insulting a person. “Puttanna is the right choice as he has been a model to his fellow colleagues. He has been elected thrice and is punctual to the House,” he said.
Earlier, the proposal to make Puttanna as the deputy chairman was mooted by Horatti, Marithibbe Gowda and E Krishnappa. He was the lone candidate in the fray.