Thimmappa to be elected Speaker

Senior Congress leader Kagodu Thimmappa is all set to become the Speaker of Karnataka Legislative Assembly unopposed. He was the lone candidate who filed nomination papers for the post, and will be declared elected tomorrow during the ongoing session.

Thimmappa (82), a former minister and MLA from Sagara in Shimoga district, was initially reluctant to take the position as he was keen to join the Siddaramaiah Cabinet but was persuaded by the Congress leadership to change his mind. Meanwhile, seventy members took oath today on the second day of the maiden session of the 14th assembly today, taking the overall figure to 216, after 146 did so yesterday.

Of the total current strength of 223 in the House, seven are yet to take oath. They include senior MLA D K Shivakumar, who was apparently denied cabinet berth as he faced corruption charges, and BSR Congress chief B Sriramulu, both of whom were absent on the first two days. Leader of Opposition H D Kumaraswamy, state JD-S chief, was among those who took oath today. Outside the Assembly, Kumaraswamy acknowledged that he now has the privilege of serving as Leader of Opposition, a position once held by his father and JD-S supremo and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda.

Both served as Chief Ministers.

He termed as "childish" Tamil Nadu government's move to file a suit in the Supreme Court seeking around Rs 2,500 crore damages from Karnataka for loss of 'samba' and 'kuruvai' crops owing to the non-release of water as per the order of Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal.

Kumaraswamy questioned Tamil Nadu government's approach to encourage farmers to grow crops in the region while knowing fully well that there was going to be shortfall of rains and Karnataka has problems on the drinking water front and that it's reservoirs are "empty".

"Instead of filing suit in Supreme Court, it would have been better if she (Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa) had filed petition before rain Gods", he quipped.