Bengaluru: Despite opposition by four members of a high-power panel and BJP, the state government has decided to recommend the candidature of Karnataka Law Commission Chairman S.R. Nayak for the post of Lokayukta.

According to sources, the government will make the recommendation by next week to Governor Vajubhai Vala. However, now the ball is in Governor Vala’s court, ho is the appointing authority for the Lokayukta.

Four in the six-member panel, headed by Chief minister Siddaramaiah, had opposed the candidature of Nayak and recommended the name of Vikramjit Sen, retired Supreme Court judge for the next Lokayukta. Justice Vikramajit Sen, had withdrawn his consent to be considered for the coveted post and the legal practitioners attributed it to the linguistic card being played by a few netas and a section of advocates..

The post of the Karnataka Lokayukta has been vacant since December 8, 2015, after the resignation of Y. Bhaskar Rao, who resigned from the post following alleged involvement of his son Ashwin Rao in an extortion racket.