BENGALURU, Aug. 8 -- The Karnataka Legislative Council chairman, Basavaraj Horatti, resigned on Friday after the Congress government told him it would seek his removal through a no confidence motion if he refused to step aside, clearing the way for the ruling party to take control of the Upper House.

Horatti said the Congress government had put him under pressure to leave and had warned that it would move a no confidence motion against him if he refused. He resigned after meeting chief minister DK Shivakumar on Friday.

"I was asked to resign, so I tendered my resignation," Horatti said after the meeting. He added that he did not know why he had been asked to step down.

The chief minister's office said Horatti's resignation had been acc...