UT Khader is Congress's surprise choice for Karnataka Speaker nomination | Azad Times

Former Karnataka minister and Mangaluru MLA UT Khader filed the nomination for the post of Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Tuesday, May 23. The Congress, after deliberations and consultations with party leaders, selected Khader as their surprise choice for the significant role.

Speculations surrounding the contenders for the Speaker post included names like RV Deshpande, TB Jayachandra, and HK Patil. However, the Congress party made a last-minute decision to nominate five-time MLA UT Khader.

State Congress in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala and National General Secretary KC Venugopal reportedly reached out to UT Khader on Monday and discussed the nomination with him. Following deliberations, Khader was informed that the party had selected him as its Speaker candidate. The choice is said to be influenced by Rahul Gandhi’s insistence that important positions be allocated to individuals from minority communities.

Subsequently, Khader held discussions with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah as well as Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar.

On Tuesday, Khader formally submitted his nomination papers for the post of Speaker at the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru. The nomination papers were signed by the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister, affirming their support for Khader's candidacy. In addition to this, the Congress party has reportedly promised Khader a ministerial post during the cabinet reshuffle that is expected to take place in two years' time.