Set to be the next Karnataka Speaker, U T Khader known for his diplomatic skills, bridging divides

Khader raised several issues concerning the general public in the Assembly against the combative government headed by Basavaraj Bommai of the BJP. Though widely regarded as a favourite to be a minister in the new Congress government, the five-term MLA — who has held sway over his constituency for over two decades (along with his late father) — was surprisingly picked on Tuesday to be the new Assembly Speaker.

Mangalore MLA UT Khader filing his nomination for the post of Karnataka Assembly speaker. (Facebook: UT Khader)

Khader, the former Health Minister, battled the BJP on his own on several occasions on the floor of the Assembly, often when top party leaders such as then Leader of the Opposition and current Chief Minister Siddaramaiah were absent. Khader served as the Deputy Leader of the Opposition (Deputy LoP) between February 2022 and March.

He often raised issues concerning the welfare of minorities — such as the BJP’s bias when it comes to condoling with the families of the victims of communal violence and right-wing groups’ attempts to communalise issues — drawing angry responses mostly from the large contingent of BJP MLAs from the communally polarised Dakshina Kannada region.

“A few of the actions of the government show that this government does not have good intentions. All their activities and statements and actions are focused on the polarisation of society. The actions of the CM and the home minister clearly show that they are controlled by other organisations,” Khader said last year as the BJP and allied organisations tried to communalise Muslim practices such as prayer calls and the use of meat certified as Halal.

Khader was among the rare politicians, apart from H D Kumaraswamy of the Janata Dal (Secular), who last year criticised the BJP government after the CM visited the homes of members of the majority community and avoided the families of religious minorities after incidents of communal murders. “This clearly shows that the government has a separate policy for minorities in the state and for their party workers there is a separate policy. They are not working according to the constitution and their clear-cut agenda is evident in their actions,” said the MLA.

Khader is set to win the election Wednesday on account of the Congress’s tally of 135 MLAs in the 224-member Assembly. “He has a lot of knowledge and balance of mind. He is a five-time MLA. We have all sat together and discussed and decided to give youth a chance. We approached him and he gracefully accepted,” said state Congress chief D K Shivakumar said after Khader filed his nomination on Tuesday.

The legislator who belongs to the small Beary sub-sect of Muslims who are largely restricted to the Dakshina Kannada region was expected to be among the first batch of ministers in the new government. He reportedly had the backing of Shivakumar but lost out in the Muslim category on account of Siddaramaiah backing his close associate B Z Zameer Ahmed, who is considered a popular Muslim leader with reach across the state.

With eight more contenders for ministerial posts from the minority community, the Congress is believed to have decided to use Khader’s diplomatic and statesmanlike skills to conduct Assembly business in the next five years.

Khader is widely known to have a non-confrontational attitude outside the legislature, building bridges across communities and the political divide to achieve goals. He is often criticised in Dakshina Kannada by leaders of progressive groups for taking a calibrated stand on the divisive politics of both Hindutva and radical Muslim outfits in the coastal belt. Some Congress leaders from coastal Karnataka also point to the shared business interests between close associates of Khader and BJP leaders in the region.

Khader won the Mangalore constituency by 22,977 votes in the recent polls. His decision to take up the Speaker’s role, if elected, is likely to provide him with a statewide reach. The Speaker’s post, however, has not been a source of political success for previous incumbents who have ended up losing elections after their terms as Speaker. Khader, who is a lawyer by profession, declared Rs 3.41 crore in assets in his electoral affidavit ahead of the recent polls.