On Monday, the session of the 16th Karnataka Legislative Assembly began after the Congress party, led by Siddaramaiah, attained power. The recently elected Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) took their oaths and officially launched the session.
Despite Protem Speaker RV Deshpande’s insistence on swearing in solely in the name of God or the Constitution, some newly inaugurated legislators instead chose to invoke the name of their personal patron deity or spiritual and political mentors, leading to disapproval from rival politicians.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, 182 MLAs in Uttar Pradesh are set to take their oath of office, followed by the election of a new Speaker of the State Assembly. This three-day session marks the beginning of the 17th Legislative Assembly in Uttar Pradesh.
Ruling party leaders are displaying a noticeable reluctance to accept the role of speaker, as their primary focus is gaining a place in the cabinet. Prominent contenders for the speakership include Deshpande, HK Patil, TB Jayachandra, Basavaraj Rayareddy, KN Rajanna, Dinesh Gundurao, and Ajay Singh, all of whom have actively declined the offer in favor of pursuing ministerial roles.
CM Siddaramaiah was the first to take the oath of office, before being followed by his deputy DK Shivakumar and eight cabinet ministers. Siddaramaiah chose to swear by God, while Shivakumar chose to take the name of Gangadhara Ajja, his family deity.
MLA Basavaraju Shivaganga invoked the name of the gods during his oath-taking at the Karnataka assembly, while Mulbagal MLA Samruddhi Manjunath sought the blessings of party supremo HD Deve Gowda. However, Bhagirathi Murulya, the BJP MLA from Sullia, was not allowed to take her oath in the name of her family deity after Congress MLA Basavaraj Rayaraddy raised an objection.
At the start of the assembly’s proceedings, Protem Speaker Deshpande welcomed the newly elected members and encouraged them to unite and work together for the betterment of the state, disregarding their political affiliations.
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