Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru (EP)
Bengaluru, Sep 21: Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Saturday, September 21 held meeting with disqualified MLAs soon after by-elections were announced in 15 districts on October 21.
It is said that the chief minister tried to pacify them in a meeting held in the guest house of Aranya Bhavan.
All the disqualified MLAs including JD(S) disqualified MLA H Vishwanath reportedly attended the meeting. Govind Karajola, Basavaraj Bommai and Laxman Savadi too were present.
Further action will be taken after discussions with legal experts. There is no question of giving up on dissatisfied MLAs this time. Higher sources have revealed that the chief minister asked them not to worry.
The by-elections are crucial for the survival of the newly formed B S Yediyurappa-led BJP government which needs to win at least six assembly seats to stay in power.
The by-elections for 15 seats was necessitated after 15 rebel MLAs of the ruling Congress and the JD-S government switched their loyalty to the saffron party.
The 14-month-old Congress-JD-S government led by H.D. Kumaraswamy collapsed after the 15 MLAs resigned as legislators in late July this year.
Significantly, the announcement of the schedule of the by-elections means that the disqualified MLAs will not be able to contest.
In a dramatic turn of events, former Karnataka Speaker K.R. Ramesh Kumar disqualified as many as 17 rebel MLAs till the end of the current Assembly term running from 2018 to 2023, a day before the trust vote in the Karnataka Assembly.
The constituencies going to the polls include -- Gokak, Athani, Ranebennur, Kagwad, Hirekerur, Yellapur, Yeshwanthpura, Vijayanagara, Shivajinagar, Hosakote, Hunsur, Krishnarajpet, Mahalakshmi Layout, KR Pura and Chikballapura.
However, the poll panel did not announce the schedule for the R.R. Nagar and Maski assembly constituency.
Following their disqualification, the rebel MLAs had approached the Supreme Court to quash their disqualification. However, Justice M.M. Shantanagoudar recused himself earlier this week citing he is from Karnataka and that his conscience does not permit him to hear the case.
After the counting for the 15 assembly constituencies, the strength of the Karnataka Assembly will be 222. The ruling BJP currently has the support of 106 MLAs, including independent MLA H. Nagesh.
With inputs from IANS