From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Jul 18: Four-time Congress MLA Shivashankara Reddy N H was unanimously elected as the Deputy Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Thursday.

Assembly Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa announced the unanimous election of Reddy as the Deputy Speaker of the Assembly.

The Gauribidanur MLA was the lone candidate to file nomination papers for the post on Wednesday, the last day for filing nominations.

Reddy has been elected to the Lower House from Gauribidanur Constituency in Chikballapur district.

The Congress member had also been elected as member of the 11th, 12th and 13th Legislative Assembly respectively.

Reddy, born on September 24, 1954, has done B.Sc. in Agriculture. He is married to Sujathamma and has two children, including a daughter.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had proposed the name of Reddy while Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs and Animal Husbandry T B Jayachnadra seconded it.

Siddaramaiah, Leader of the Opposition H D Kumaraswamy, BJP floor leader and former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, KJP leader and former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, BSR Congress leader B Sriramulu and several other members congratulated Reddy for being unanimously elected to the post.

"Reddy is the most decent and non-controversial legislator," the Chief Minister said and pointed out that the Gauribidanur legislator had own elections four times consecutively.

Though he had all credentials of becoming the Minister in the Government, his candidature was considered as "most suitable" for the Deputy Speaker’s post, Siddaramaiah said.

Siddaramaiah expressed confidence that Reddy would conduct the House proceedings in a most transparent and non-partisan way.