Bengaluru: Warning legislators, who had cross-voted during the recent Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council elections, that things were far from over and they could still face action, Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa, however, indicated on Monday that the parties themselves were partially to blame for the entire fiasco.
“If party workers are given opportunity, people will have faith in the system. Instead, money bags are entertained. What message does this send society? Real estate businessmen should stop getting into the Upper House,” he stressed. But on the other hand, he said those who had defied the whip of their respective parties should not be under the false impression that they enjoyed some kind of immunity and had gotten away scot free.
“Alhough the issue does not come under the Speaker’s purview, the Election Commission is not dead. If the party concerned makes a complaint, I will forward it to the commission and it will take the final decision,'' Mr Thimmapppa offered, regretting that the recent developments in various parties and the behaviour of legislators were not conducive to a democratic set- up. Responding to a question, he said while the Speaker was empowered enough to run the legislature effectively, he alone could not change the system.
