[UT Khader is filing his nomination papers.]
Bengaluru: Former Minister and Congress MLA UT Abdul Khader Ali Fareed is all set to become the Speaker of Karnataka Legislative Assembly.
53-year-old five-time MLA, UT Khader, is the one of the nine Muslim MLAs in the Karnataka Assembly. If elected, Khader will be the first Muslim to become Speaker in Karnataka. He will also be the youngest Sepaker in the state assembly.
As the seniors declined to accept the post saying that they would rather continue as MLAs, the high command managed to convince Khader for the role, according to sources.
Khader submitted his nomination papers in the presence of CM Siddaramaiah, Deputy CM Shivkumar and other party leaders on Tuesday.
UT Abdul Khader Ali Fareed is a veteran Congress leader who represents the Mangalore constituency of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly and is a five-time MLA from the seat.
He is the son of a former Congress MLA from the Ullal constituency (now Mangalore) and hails from one of the most prominent Muslim families of the region.
UT Khader pursued an L.L.B Degree from S.D.M Law College under Mangalore University in 2003.
He entered politics in 2007 after the demise of his father who won the seat in the 1972, 1978, 1999 and 2004 elections. Khader won his very first election in 2007.
Khader is a soft spoken politician who got elected from Mangaluru (Ullal) constituency for five times.
He served as Minister for Health and Food Supply in the Congress government headed by Siddaramaiah in 2013. He also worked as the deputy leader of the Opposition party in the state Assembly.
Veteran leaders R.V. Deshapande, T.B. Jayachandra and H.K. Patil were shortlisted by the party for the Speaker's post. However, the seniors flatly refused the proposal. Deshpande went to the extent of saying that he does not deserve the post.
AICC Secretary K.C. Venugopal and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala personally spoke to Khader and requested him to take up the post in the interest of the party. They also assured him that the party will give due recognition to him, the sources said.
Later, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also spoke to him and convinced him. Though Khader comes from communally sensitive Dakshina Kannada, he has neither made a provocative statement nor indulged in hate speech. He has won the confidence of all sections of society cutting across the religions.
For all the latest News, Opinions and Views, download ummid.com App.
Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic.
