Karnataka High Court to Speaker: Decide on rebel JD(S) MLAs by May 7

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday asked the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly to take a decision on or before May 7 with regard to disqualification of seven rebel JD (S) MLAs.

All the seven have now joined Congress party and are contesting the forthcoming Assembly election on Congress ticket. The court passed the orders while asking Speaker to inform about his decision by May 7, as the State Legislative Assembly will dissolve on May 8.

The court was hearing a petition filed by JD(S) MLAs C.N. Balakrishna from Shravanabelagola and B.B. Ningaiah from Mudigere (SC reserved) Assembly constituency, who have moved the court against seven of its rebel MLAs – B.Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan (Chamarajpet), N. Cheluvarayaswamy (Nagamangala), A.B. Ramesh Bandisiddegowda (Srirangapattana), H.C. Balakrishna (Magadi), Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy R. (Pulakeshinagar), Iqbal Ansari (Gagavati) and S. Bheema Naik (Hagari Bommanahalli).

The petitioners had contended that the seven MLAs stood disqualified from the time they voted against the official candidate of JD(S) B.M. Farooq in the Rajya Sabha election held on June 11, 2016.

HC notice
The High Court issued notices to Dr Shivraj Patil and Mannapa Vajal, former MLAs following a petition filed by JD(S) MLC T.A. Sharavana. He has alleged that the two have joined BJP party even before their resignation was accepted by the Speaker.

The petition terms their act as anti-party activities and has sought that they should be barred from contesting polls for six years.