Archive · 6 Aug 2026
Congress defends Speaker, Chairman candidate announcement against BJP criticism
In the Indian state of Karnataka, there are two houses of government called the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council.
The members of these houses choose a Speaker, a Deputy Speaker, a Chairman and a Deputy Chairman to run their meetings.
The Congress party announced the people it wants for these important jobs.
The Bharatiya Janata Party, also called the BJP, said Congress should not name the people before the jobs become free.
A senior Congress leader named B K Hariprasad explained that the party only suggested the candidates and did not appoint anyone.
He said the Constitution says the houses themselves elect these leaders.
He reminded everyone that the BJP also named a Speaker candidate before the election back in 2019.
In 2024, the NDA announced Om Birla as its Lok Sabha Speaker candidate ahead of the election.
Hariprasad said the BJP's complaint shows it does not understand the rules.
He asked BJP leaders to first read the Constitution before complaining.
Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President B K Hariprasad defended Congress's announcement of candidates for the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Legislative Council Chairman and Deputy Chairman posts.
The BJP accused Congress of constitutional impropriety for declaring names for the posts before they fell vacant.
Congress nominated G.S. Patil as Speaker, A.S. Ponnanna as Deputy Speaker, Saleem Ahmed as Legislative Council Chairperson and Umashree as Deputy Chairperson.
Hariprasad cited Articles 178 and 182 of the Constitution, which state that the posts are elected by their respective Houses.
He cited precedents, including BJP's 2019 declaration of Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri and NDA's 2024 declaration of Om Birla as Speaker candidates.
- Who
- Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President B K Hariprasad, the Congress high command, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
- What
- Congress defended its announcement of candidates for Karnataka's Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Legislative Council Chairman and Deputy Chairman posts after the BJP alleged it violated constitutional norms.
- When
- Tuesday, with the specific date not stated in the article.
- Where
- Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
- Why
- To counter BJP allegations that declaring candidates before the posts fell vacant was unconstitutional; Congress said it only announced candidates, since the Houses elect the post-holders under Articles 178 and 182.
Congress
BJP
Timing of candidate announcements
Congress
Congress says it only announced its candidates and appointed no one to any constitutional office; Articles 178 and 182 provide that the Houses elect the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Chairman and Deputy Chairman, so the announcement cannot be unconstitutional.
BJP
The BJP says declaring names for the posts before they fell vacant violates constitutional norms and amounts to constitutional impropriety.
- KPCC President
- B K Hariprasad
- Speaker candidate
- G.S. Patil
- Deputy Speaker candidate
- A.S. Ponnanna
- Legislative Council Chairperson candidate
- Saleem Ahmed
- Legislative Council Deputy Chairperson candidate
- Umashree
- Constitutional Articles cited
- Articles 178 and 182
- BJP allegation
- Constitutional impropriety for announcing names before posts fell vacant
- Precedents cited
- BJP's 2019 Kageri announcement; NDA's 2024 Om Birla announcement