BJP's Bopaiah Pro-Tem Karnataka Assembly Speaker for floor test

Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala on Friday appointed BJP legislator K.G. Bopaiah as Karnataka Assembly's Pro-Tem Speaker for administering oath to all newly elected legislators on Saturday ahead of the floor test directed by the Supreme Court, a party official said.

"The Governor appointed and administered the oath to Bopaiah as the Pro-Tem Speaker at the Raj Bhavan," BJP Spokesman Vamanacharya told IANS here.

Bopaiah, 62, is a three-time legislator from Virajpet seat in Kodagu region, 260 km from Bengaluru. He was Speaker during the Bharatiya Janata Party rule in the state from 2008-13.

All newly-elected legislators will be administered oath in the Assembly premises.

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court ordered the floor test in Assembly at 4 p.m. on Saturday.

In the May 12 elections held in 222 constituencies across the state, 104 seats were won by the BJP, Congress (78), JD-S (37), one by independent, one by Bahujan Samaj Party and one by regional Karnataka Pragnyavantha Janatha Party.

Though the JD-S won 37 seats, its effective strength is 36 since its state President H.D. Kumaraswamy won from Channapatna and Ramanagara segments but has only one vote.

--IANS

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