Bengaluru, (DHNS): The newly elected members taking oath as MLAs and subsequent election of the Speaker are crucial for B S Yeddyurappa, who has to prove majority in the House to retain chief minister’s post. Yeddyurappa, who held the first Cabinet meeting with Chief Secretary K Ratna Prabha and other senior officials after taking oath as the chief minister, recommended to the Assembly Secretariat to dissolve the existing Assembly (14th) and constitute the new one (15th).

The Assembly Secretariat will soon issue a notification in this regard. Official sources in the Assembly Secretariat said that once the notification is issued, Yeddyurappa-headed Cabinet will recommend to governor name of one of the senior elected members to act as the pro tem Speaker, who will administer oath to the elected members. The Governor will, in turn, administer the oath to the pro tem Speaker. Once the elected members take oath, the new Assembly will be declared constituted.

But it is not binding on all the elected members to take oath on the same day; the members are allowed to take oath on a later date also. Sources in the BJP said the party is trying to persuade some of the “disgruntled” Congress and JD(S) members – about 10 of them – not to take oath till the crucial floor test is conducted. If this is done, the total strength of the House will come down and the BJP, which has 104 members on its side, can easily prove its majority.

The ruling party has to prove majority out of the total strength of the House at the time of floor test. Another important process that the BJP is trying to turn to its advantage is the Speaker election, which is done before the floor test. The Speaker plays a key role in the entire Assembly proceedings. So, it is important for both the camps to ensure that one of their members is made the speaker. The Speaker is elected by the House through an election. The Assembly secretary is the election officer. Any party that has majority in the House can install one of its members in the Speaker’s post by winning the election. It is said that the JD(S)-Congress alliance, which has 117 members, is also planning to install one of their members as the Speaker.