Bengaluru: Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, the BJP MLA from Sirsi in Uttara Kannada district, is almost certain to be the new Karnataka Assembly Speaker.

The post had fallen vacant after K.R. Ramesh Kumar, Srinivasapur MLA from the Congress, quit as Speaker on Monday soon after BJP’s B.S. Yediyurappa proved majority by a voice vote in the floor of the Assembly.

Kageri presented his nomination papers to Vidhana Sabha Secretary M.K. Vishalakshi before the deadline ended at 12 noon today. He was accompanied by CM Yediyurappa, former CM Jagadish Shettar, former Deputy CM K.S. Eshwarappa, MLAs Basavaraj Bommai and J.C. Madhuswamy.

Kageri’s election as the Speaker is almost certain as no candidate from the Opposition JD(S) and Congress filed nomination before the deadline. The election to the post was scheduled for tomorrow (July 31).

With no other candidate filing nomination, Kageri’s election as the new Speaker will be officially announced tomorrow.

Kageri, said to have the backing of RSS, is a surprise choice made by BJP High Command this morning as till late last night, Virajpet MLA K.G. Bopaiah was the front-runner for the post.