CLP is for disqualification of 4 despite attending session, says Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru: Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader, Siddaramaiah on Thursday said that the party was in favour of disqualification of the four defiant MLAs, who had abstained from two CLP meetings before turning up at Vidhana Soudha to attend the legislature session on Wednesday and Thursday.

Mr Siddaramaiah told Deccan Chronicle that the complaint was not related to the absence of the four legislators-Ramesh Jarkiholi, Mahesh Kumatalli, Dr Umesh Jadhav and B. Nagendra-from the proceedings of the legislature session. "The legislators coming to attend the session is not our concern. Their act of staying absent from the CLP was treated as an act of violation of the whip issued by me. Therefore, we have submitted a petition to the Speaker seeking their disqualification," he said.

However it remains to be seen if this is a mere pressure tactic to make the rebel MLAs fall in line or Siddaramaiah and the Speaker will go all the way and ensure they are disqualified which would result in a depletion of the Congress strength in the Assembly

According to Siddaramaiah, the Speaker would ask for a customary explanation from the members after which a decision would be taken. “Just because, they have returned from Mumbai, we cannot change our stand. We will press for their disqualification,” he asserted. Party insiders told this newspaper that after coming back, the four did not meet the CLP leader nor had they met other senior Congress leaders.

Home minister, M.B. Patil held parleys with them however, he reportedly failed to break the ice with the four insisting they had received a raw deal in the Congress party.