Karnataka speaker disqualifies 3 rebel MLAs. This might spell trouble for BJP

Karnataka assembly speaker K.R. Ramesh Kumar, on Thursday, disqualified independent MLA R. Shankar, Congress MLAs Ramesh Jarkiholi and Mahesh Kumtahalli, ANI reported. Shankar, the speaker said, had merged his party KPJP with the Congress before becoming an MLA. He resigned and decided to support the BJP, claimed a complaint filed by Congress' legislature party chief Siddaramaiah. 

This might prove to be a blow to the BJP. The party is waiting for the resignations of the rebel MLAs to be accepted and for the Congress-JD(S) coalition mark to fall below the assembly's half-way strength. However, if an MLA is disqualified (resignation not accepted), that would pre-empt the possibilities of him becoming a minister when the next government is formed; he cannot be a member of the assembly till 2023, which is the duration of the 15th legislative assembly, under the provisions of the anti-defection law. They can, however, contest in the re-elections. If the BJP did indeed promise ministerial berths to some of the rebel MLAs, the disqualification might work against the saffron party.

As it looked to the central leadership to take a shot at government formation, the BJP camp here was devoid of any major activity barring internal meetings held by party state unit chief B.S. Yeddyurappa, who is waiting in the wings for a fourth term as chief minister.

A group of Karnataka BJP leaders, including Jagdish Shettar, Arvind Limbavali, J.C. Madhuswamy, Basavaraj Bommai and Yeddyurappa's son Vijayendra, met party chief Amit Shah in New Delhi and reportedly discussed the government formation.

Speaker Kumar, who is yet to decide on the resignation and disqualification of the rebel Congress-JD(S) MLAs, said he would use his discretion and uphold the faith the Supreme Court has placed in him.

He said there was no further opportunity for the rebel MLAs to appear before him and it was a closed chapter now, adding, "law is same for everyone whether it is a labourer or president of India".

"Yes..the court has left to my discretion [to decide on resignation], I have discretion, I will work accordingly and will uphold the faith that the Supreme Court has expressed in me," Kumar said.

Stating that there was no more option for MLAs to appear before him, he said that process was over.

"I had called them and they did not come, their lawyers had come and have said what they had to, it is a closed chapter," he added.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi in its order on Wednesday gave the assembly speaker the freedom to decide on the resignation of the 15 MLAs within such time-frame as considered appropriate by him.

The 14-month-old Congress-JDS coalition government headed by H.D. Kumaraswamy collapsed on Tuesday after losing the vote of confidence in the assembly in a climax to the three-week long intense power struggle.

Rebel Congress MLA Shivaram Hebbar who arrived from Mumbai, where the disgruntled lawmakers were holed up, at his residence in Yellapura of Uttara Kananda district expressed confidence that the speaker who is a senior and experienced person will take right decision on our resignation.

Speaking to local news channels, he said "we [rebel MLAs] are not disgruntled, we are helpless. As no one came to help us we came out."

Stating that there was no change in their decision, Hebbar said he and other rebel legislators stand by their decision [of resigning]. "There is no change in it."

Responding to a question, he said, he does not fear about disqualification and will face it.

"There are laws and rules, recently Umesh Jadhav's resignation as MLA was accepted. I believe in the judiciary and speaker's justice," he said, adding that they will take decision on their political future only after resignations are accepted.

-Inputs from PTI