Former minister and five-time legislator UT Khader is all set to be the Speaker of the Sixteenth Legislative Assembly of Karnataka.
Khader will file the nomination for the Speaker's post by 10:30 am today, Congress sources said. His election to the post will be formalised on Wednesday. The ruling party's nominated candidate is generally, unanimously elected as the Speaker. Once elected, he will be the first Muslim leader to occupy the Speaker's post in Karnataka.
While the names of senior Congress leaders RV Deshpande and HK Patil were being considered, sources said neither of these leaders was interested in the post.
Khader served as the Deputy leader of the Opposition during the previous BJP-led government. A five-time MLA, he first contested in the 2007 bypolls from the erstwhile Ullal constituency (now Mangaluru), after his father UT Fareed's demise. Fareed was a four-time legislator from the same constituency and his demise necessitated the bypolls. Ever since, Khader has consecutively won from Mangaluru constituency.
In the 2013 Siddaramaiah-led government, he was first the health minister and later in held the Food and Civil Supplies portfolio. In the Congress-JD(S) coalition government in 2018, Khader held both the Housing and Urban Development portfolios.
Khader, who holds a bachelor's degree in law, started his political career as a district functionary in the NSUI way back in 1990. The former minister is also a sports enthusiast. He is into Motor Sports, cricket, hockey, tennis and volleyball.