Lokayukta appointment to be again taken up with Karnataka Governor

BANGALORE: No immediate solution seems to be in sight over the controversy surrounding the appointment of former Kerala High Court Chief Justice S R Bannurmath as Lokayukta, with the ruling BJP today again deciding to pursue the matter with Governor H R Bhardwaj.

"I will meet the Governor again to convince him to appoint Bannurmath as Lokayukta," Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda told reporters, a day after Bhardwaj stuck to his stand that he would not allow "downgrading" of the Lokayukta.

Bhardwaj has been insisting that the BJP government suggest the name of another non-controversial judge which he would approve without delay after rejecting the name of Bannurmath, who faces allegations of securing allotment of a residential site in violation of rules.

Karnataka Lokayukta's post has been lying vacant since September after previous incumbent Shivaraj Patil quit amid charges of securing allotment of a site in his wife's name from a private housing cooperative society violating rules.

Gowda said government would convene a 10-day legislature session next month and the budget session in March.

He said he had already held consultations with his predecessor B S Yeddyurappa on holding the session and would soon discuss it with leader of the opposition, Siddaramaiah.

Gowda ruled out a legislature session in Belgaum till completion of work on 'Suvarna Soudha,' the new secretariat.