Daijiworld Media Network – Bangalore (SP)

Bangalore, Nov 26: On Thursday November 25, objections to the writ petitions filed by five disqualified independent MLAs, who had joined a coup against the government staged by disgruntled MLAs and ministers of the BJP, were filed on behalf of state Chief Minister, B S Yeddyurappa, and chief whip of the ruling party, D N Jeevaraj, in the state High Court. These five legislators have questioned their disqualification, asserting that they are not members of the BJP and hence, do not fall under the category of defectors.

Independent MLAs, P M Narendraswamy, Gulihatti Shekhar, Venkataramanappa, Sudhakar and Shivaraj Tangadagi, had earlier filed writ petitions questioning their disqualification by the assembly speaker. Later, the High Court had permitted them to name the Chief Minister, chief whip, BJP spokesperson and five voters from their respective constituencies who had filed complaints against them, as defendants in the case. The hearing had been adjourned to November 29.

In his affidavit, the Chief Minister has denied the allegations of these MLAs that he had misused the office of the assembly speaker in the issue. “I have high regard for the speaker. I have not brought any pressure on him relating to the issue of disqualification of independent legislators. I am in no way connected with the issue of their disqualification. Being the ruling party members, they had shared the dais with me in several forums, and all of them had joined the BJP,” he has said in the objection filed in the court.