Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Sep 24: Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Dinesh Gundu Rao, resented the interference of Election Commission (EC) in the matter of the eligibility of disqualified MLAs to fight the bypoll.

Speaking to reporters at the party office here on Monday September 23, Rao felt that the EC has no relationship with the case filed by disqualified legislators in the Supreme Court. "The EC has unnecessarily got involved with this matter, which is improper and unjustified. In connection with the case, on behalf of KPCC, we had filed caveat. We have received notice from the Supreme Court, and our advocates will present their arguments in the top court on September 26," he narrated.

Rao pointed out that the disqualified MLAs had violated the Anti Defection Law of the country and the speaker had upheld the rules as per this act. "The people also have supported the speaker's order, and we believe the Supreme Court will uphold the speaker's decision," he added.

Congress cautious: As the case filed by disqualified MLAs is still undecided, the Congress has decided to choose its candidates for the bypoll after watching the developments in the court.

The party has already begun the exercise of selecting candidates. It has decided to finalize the candidates after watching the progress in the case on Wednesday. If the court denies permission to disqualified legislators to enter the fray, Congress might change its game plan. If the court permits them to fight the election, the party may try to get the BJP candidates who fought the election in 2018 and got defeated, to fight with Congress ticket, it is said. These efforts are going on clandestinely, sources revealed.