Bengaluru: After having played a pivotal role in toppling the previous Congress-JD(S) government and helping the BJP come to power, the disqualified Congress and JD(S) MLAs are growing increasingly restless with their case challenging the Speaker's decision to disqualify them still pending before the Supreme Court. Unless the case is settled, their chances of getting inducted in the B.S. Yediyurappa cabinet look bleak.
The MLAs met in the city on Friday to discuss their future and decided to bring pressure on the BJP's national and state leadership to come to their rescue. “We had a discussion on how the case can be listed for hearing at the earliest," said one of the disqualified MLAs, B. C. Patil, speaking to reporters after the meeting at the home of Dr K. Sudhakar.
Besides Mr Patil and Dr Sudhakar, the other disqualified MLAs present at the meeting were M. T. B. Nagaraj, Munirathna, Shrimant Patil and Byrathi Basavaraj.
Mr Nagaraj said they discussed their case and also the development activities in their former constituencies. Although he ruled out any unhappiness with the BJP, it was palpable on their faces.
A senior Congress leader , meanwhile claimed that the disqualified legislators were in limbo because the BJP's national leadership had never approved of the toppling of the Kumaraswamy government and wanted everyone, including Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, who was then state party president, to wait patiently to let the infighting in the coalition take its natural course.
“But Mr Yediyurappa wanted exactly the opposite and made six attempts to topple the Congress-JD(S) coalition government. Although he succeeded, the Bharatiya Janata Party's national leaders aren't helping him now. And with the demise of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s senior leaders, Ananth Kumar, Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley, who were an authority on Karnataka affairs, there is no one to back Mr Yediyurappa. This impasse is costing the rebels and recent reports about another Operation Lotus have only added to their growing confusion,” he said.
In his view, the disqualified legislators are now feeling let down by the Bharatiya Janata Party's leadership both at the Centre and in the state.
“These rebels only want to protect their interests. They want the Bharatiya Janata Party to honour the promises made to them before the toppling of the coalition government. They know they stand to lose a great deal if they don't resort to blackmailing tactics,” the Congress leader contended.
