Bengaluru: Karnataka Legislative Assembly Speaker U T Khader on Wednesday administered the oath to BJP leader D N Jeevaraj as MLA from the Sringeri Assembly constituency at Vidhana Soudha, amid a political row over an alleged delay in the swearing-in process.

Jeevaraj was declared elected following a recounting of postal ballots conducted on May 3, 2026, in compliance with directions issued by the Karnataka High Court in an election petition filed by him.

The BJP had accused the Speaker of delaying the oath ceremony despite the Election Commission issuing the victory certificate and the state government publishing the official gazette notification. Leader of Opposition R Ashoka had said the party approached Governor Thawarchand Gehlot seeking intervention in the matter.

Responding to the controversy after administering the oath, Khader denied any deliberate delay and clarified that the Governor had not issued any directive to him.

“The Governor only informed me about the BJP’s appeal. There was no direction or pressure from his office,” Khader told reporters.

Explaining the timeline, the Speaker said the Election Commission’s order declaring Jeevaraj the winner reached his office only on Monday. “I was in Mangaluru on Tuesday, and my office received the MLA’s request around 11.30 am. Due to prior official engagements, I could return to Bengaluru only on Wednesday,” he said.

Khader also questioned the BJP’s urgency in approaching the Governor. “I do not know the reason for the hurry. However, to avoid unnecessary speculation and protect the dignity of the Speaker’s chair, I made time to administer the oath. I will always fulfil my constitutional responsibility,” he said.

Calling it a “special case” arising out of a recounting process, Khader said the matter required legal examination before proceeding.

“In a democracy, there should be mutual trust between the Speaker, the ruling party and the opposition. Since this involved a recount and court directions, I needed to study the legal aspects carefully, which I have done,” he added.

Khader also confirmed that he had replied to the Governor’s communication regarding the matter.