Karnataka Council Chairman Horatti resigns; Congress cites parliamentary convention
Synopsis
Basavaraj Horatti's exit as Karnataka Legislative Council Chairman has opened a sharp political fault line. Congress frames it as textbook parliamentary convention backed by a 39-seat majority; BJP alleges pressure. With the Council session days away, the real contest is who controls the Chair — and the narrative.
Key Takeaways
Basavaraj Horatti resigned as Karnataka Legislative Council Chairman on 7 August , ahead of the session beginning 13 August .
Hariprasad praised Horatti's non-partisan conduct and called his resignation a principled decision.
Congress holds 39 seats in the 75-member Council , against BJP's 24 — the numerical shift cited as the convention behind the resignation.
KPCC's Ramesh Babu invoked the February 2021 resignation of Congress Chairman Pratap Chandra Shetty as a direct precedent.
Congress accused the BJP of diverting attention from alleged exclusion of over 1 crore voters from Karnataka's draft electoral rolls.
Basavaraj Horatti resigned as Chairman of the Karnataka Legislative Council on Friday, 7 August, triggering a political exchange between the ruling Indian National Congress (Congress) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over whether the move reflects convention or coercion. The resignation comes ahead of the Council session scheduled to begin on 13 August.
Congress Praises Horatti's Tenure
Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President B.K. Hariprasad said he respected Horatti's decision, describing him as a senior leader who upheld the dignity of the House throughout his public life. 'His leadership of the House with restraint, maturity and impartiality, while providing equal opportunities to all members, will be remembered,' Hariprasad said.
Hariprasad also acknowledged Horatti's contribution to Karnataka's parliamentary system, noting his commitment to preserving the dignity of constitutional offices and legislative traditions. 'I respect his decision and fondly acknowledge his long-standing service to Karnataka's parliamentary system,' he added.
KPCC: Resignation Follows Established Legislative Practice
KPCC Media and Communications Department Chairman and former MLC Ramesh Babu defended the resignation, arguing it was consistent with established legislative practice. He said that whenever the party holding the Chairman or Deputy Chairman's post loses its numerical strength in the Legislative Council, it has been customary for the incumbent to step down voluntarily.
Ramesh Babu pointed to the current composition of the 75-member Karnataka Legislative Council: Congress holds 39 seats, BJP holds 24, Janata Dal (Secular) holds 6, and there is 1 Independent member. With Congress commanding a clear majority, he said Horatti's resignation upheld the institution's parliamentary traditions.
Congress Invokes 2021 Precedent
Ramesh Babu recalled that in February 2021, then Council Chairman Pratap Chandra Shetty of the Congress had resigned after the BJP gained numerical strength in the House. He alleged that the BJP had at the time insisted on Shetty's resignation and disrupted proceedings until he stepped down.
He further claimed that BJP leaders had, until recently, tried to persuade Horatti not to resign — reportedly in an attempt to retain political advantage through the Chairman's office. 'The BJP is now attempting to distort history and parliamentary conventions to target the Congress,' Ramesh Babu said.
BJP Accused of Politicising the Issue
The KPCC condemned what it described as the BJP's 'desperate attempt' to politicise the constitutional post of the Legislative Council Chairman. Ramesh Babu criticised former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai for alleging political pressure behind the resignation, calling the charge an effort to divert public attention.
Separately, Ramesh Babu linked the controversy to the ongoing revision of electoral rolls in Karnataka, alleging that more than 1 crore voters had been excluded from the draft electoral rolls — a charge he attributed to alleged influence by BJP leaders over the Election Commission's exercise. He accused the BJP of using Horatti's resignation as a distraction from the voters' list issue.
What Comes Next
With the Karnataka Legislative Council session set to open on 13 August, the Congress majority positions the party to elect a new Chairman from its own ranks. The BJP has not yet formally responded to the KPCC's counter-allegations. The episode is likely to set the tone for a contentious session, with both sides already trading charges over parliamentary norms and electoral roll irregularities.
Point of View
But it cuts both ways: it also shows that numerical dominance, not principle alone, drives these exits. More telling is the electoral rolls allegation folded into the same press statement — a sign that the KPCC is using the Horatti episode to shift the news cycle toward a voter-exclusion charge that could carry far greater electoral consequence. Whether that allegation receives scrutiny or gets buried under the procedural debate is the more important story here.
NationPress
7 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Basavaraj Horatti resign as Karnataka Legislative Council Chairman?
Basavaraj Horatti resigned on 7 August after the Congress party gained a clear majority in the 75-member Karnataka Legislative Council, holding 39 of the seats. Congress argued that it is established legislative practice for the Chairman to step down voluntarily when the party holding the post loses its numerical strength in the House.
What did Karnataka Congress say about Horatti's resignation?
Karnataka Congress President B.K. Hariprasad praised Horatti's non-partisan conduct and said he respected the decision. The KPCC also defended the resignation as consistent with parliamentary convention, citing the 2021 precedent when Congress Chairman Pratap Chandra Shetty stepped down after the BJP gained numerical strength.
What is the current composition of the Karnataka Legislative Council?
The 75-member Karnataka Legislative Council currently has Congress with 39 seats, BJP with 24, Janata Dal (Secular) with 6, and 1 Independent member, giving Congress a working majority.
What is the BJP's position on Horatti's resignation?
Former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai alleged political pressure behind the resignation, a charge the KPCC rejected. Congress accused the BJP of attempting to politicise a constitutional post and of trying to distort parliamentary conventions for political gain.
What is the electoral rolls controversy linked to this episode?
KPCC's Ramesh Babu alleged that more than 1 crore voters had been excluded from Karnataka's draft electoral rolls during the Election Commission's revision exercise, attributing it to alleged BJP influence. He accused the BJP of using Horatti's resignation to divert public attention from this issue.
