BJP withdrew from speaker election to maintain dignity: Yeddyurappa

Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) nominee K.R. Ramesh Kumar was elected as the Karnataka Assembly Speaker on Friday after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) withdrew S Suresh Kumar's candidature for the speaker's post.

Explaining why the BJP withdrew its candidate for the speaker's post, Karnataka BJP President B.S. Yeddyurappa said they wanted the election to be "unanimous" in order to maintain the dignity of the post.

"We withdrew the nomination of BJP candidate as we wanted the election to be unanimous in order to maintain the dignity of the speaker's post," said Yeddyurappa.

Earlier, the BJP had put forward former law minister and five-time MLA Suresh Kumar as its candidate for the post of the assembly speaker.

The election for the speaker's post was scheduled to take place before the floor test; however, when the BJP candidate withdrew, the scheduled election did not take place.