Karnataka assembly speaker K.R. Ramesh Kumar is caught in the cross-fire between the state chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy’s trust motion and Karnataka governor Vajubhai Vala. Known for being steadfast in his decisions, this two-time speaker, who has also been a TV serial actor, is one of the key players in the on-going Karnataka political drama. That’s why he is ThePrint’s newsmaker of the week.
From allegations of delay in accepting the resignations of the 16 dissident Congress and JD(S) MLAs, horse-trading and bribery (with legislators being locked and herded into resorts) to the intervention of the Supreme Court, Ramesh Kumar is in the thick of it all.
After the BJP approached the Supreme Court, which had asked the speaker to decide on the fate of the rebel Karnataka MLAs, the veteran leader stood his ground. He said he would work within the purview of law and cannot come to a decision at “lightning speed”.
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In fact, when one of the Congress leaders, Krishna Byre Gowda, during the discussion on the trust motion impressed upon the Speaker Friday that he should not fall under the pressure of the BJP to expedite the trust motion, Kumar said: “There is no question of that. Such a person who can pressure me has not been born yet.” Such is the resolve of this battle-hardened veteran of Karnataka Congress.
A politician whose career spans over four decades, Ramesh Kumar is famous for his sharp wit and humour. His stint in TV serials, where he often played politicians, is also reflected in his punch-lines in the House. Such is his love for the rhetoric that it has landed him in trouble many times, like his “rape victim” comment. He likened himself to a “rape victim” because he was being questioned repeatedly on charges against him.
But Ramesh Kumar has humanised the speaker’s role — he is equally involved as the MLAs during legislative debates and has earned the respect of leaders beyond party lines.
Speaker Kumar’s role is very important in the current proceedings in the Karnataka assembly over the rebel MLAs. The anti-defection law gives the assembly’s speaker the power to decide on and expel MLAs. The decision taken by the speaker Monday could set a new precedent in Indian politics.
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It was under Kumar’s watch that Karnataka set the trend of allowing the proceedings of the assembly to be televised. Friday, during the on-going drama in the assembly, Kumar said: “Let the country see what we have come down to. Let people be the judge as they watch us on the floor of the house today. Let this be a cleansing session.”
A science graduate who did not complete his law degree, Kumar started his political journey in 1978 when he won his first election from the Srinivasapura assembly seat in Kolar district with a Congress ticket. He has also switched parties in the middle, contesting with Janata Party and Janata Dal tickets, before returning to Congress in 1999. A Brahmin, he prides himself for winning in a constituency where Brahmins are few in number. His competition in the seat being his college-mate and arch-rival, G. V. Venkata Shiva Reddy.
One of the landmark decisions that put Kumar in the national headlines was when he was health minister in the Siddharamaiah government. He introduced a controversial bill, which stated that doctors could be jailed for medical negligence. However, after several days of strike by the medical fraternity, the government was forced to withdraw the bill.
If the Congress-JD(S) government does not stick, the BJP would want their choice of member to become the speaker. In such a situation, Ramesh Kumar would have no qualms sitting in the opposition benches.