Disqualified Karnataka MLAs meet to discuss strategy

Apparently desperate to make a comeback into active politics, the disqualified Karnataka MLAs on Friday held a meeting looking forward to get their case heard at the earliest in the Supreme Court and discussed development activities in the assembly segments they had represented. The MLAs have approached the Supreme Court challenging their disqualification by the then Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar and are waiting for the matter to be heard for early disposal.

"We had a discussion on how, through our lawyers, the case be brought for hearing at the earliest," B C Patil told reporters after a meeting at Karnataka State Pollution Control Board chairman Dr K Sudhakar's residence. Besides B C Patil and Sudhakar, other disqualified MLAs present were M T B Nagaraj, Munirathna, Shrimant Patil and Byrathi Basavaraj.

Nagaraj said they deliberated about the case and also the development activities in the Taluks they represented. Nagaraj ruled out any "discontent" with the BJP.

Ramesh Kumar had disqualified 17 MLAs -- 13 from the Congress, three from the JDS, and one independent who had joined the Congress and later withdrew support to the then Congress-JDS coalition government -- on charges of anti-party activities on the complaint by the two parties in July. Congress and the JDS alleged that the "coup" (resignation of 17 MLAs) was staged by the BJP as part of its 'Operation Lotus' to install its government, which emerged as the single largest party in the state.

The "mass" resignation had brought down the coalition government led by the then chief minister H D Kumaraswamy in July this year, paving the way for installation of the BJP government headed by B S Yediyurappa on July 26. Their absence from the Assembly helped Yediyurappa win the trust vote on July 29.

The Supreme Court had on Thursday refused to pass any order on listing of the petitions filed by 17 disqualified MLAs, challenging the decision of the then speaker to disqualify them. "It (petitions) will come up. What is the urgency?," a bench headed by Justice N V Ramana told the counsel appearing for the disqualified MLAs..

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