Basavaraj Horatti Resigns as Karnataka Legislative Council Chairman

Legislative Council Chairman Basavaraj Horatti resigned from his post on Friday, August 7, 2026, following discussions with Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and senior Congress leaders. In his resignation letter, Horatti stated he stepped down of his own free will. To ensure a smooth transition, Shivakumar announced that Horatti will serve as pro tem Chairman until August 14, the date scheduled for the election of a new Chairman.

The Congress party, which holds a majority of 39 members in the 75-member Council, has nominated MLC Saleem Ahmed to succeed Horatti. The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee defended the resignation as a matter of parliamentary convention, noting that incumbents typically step down when their party loses numerical strength in the House. The move effectively removes the possibility of a no-confidence motion against Horatti.

While Congress President B.K. Hariprasad praised Horatti for his impartial leadership and commitment to constitutional dignity, the Bharatiya Janata Party and former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai alleged that political pressure forced the resignation. The Congress responded by accusing the BJP of attempting to politicize the event to divert attention from the exclusion of over one crore voters from draft electoral rolls during a recent Election Commission exercise.