14 more MLAs disqualified in Karnataka: Yeddy decides victory of 'Biswas'

Rebel leaders will challenge the speaker's decision in the Supreme

(PTI) Bangalore, Ta. July 28, 2019, Sunday

Karnataka Assembly Speaker K R. Ramesh Kumar on Sunday disqualified three more rebel MLAs under anti-immigration law His action has reduced the number of members in the assembly and paved the way for a newly elected BJP government to get a confidence vote on Monday.

Chairman Ramesh Kumar has disqualified three MLAs from the Congress and three from the JDS, while three have been disqualified. Thus, the magic figure for getting a majority in the House with an effective number of 3 has been reduced to 4, which is less than the total number of BJP. Moreover, with the support of a single party to the BJP, the party has a strength of 4 in the House.

In a hurried press conference on the eve of Yeddyurappa seeking a vote of confidence, Ramesh Kumar announced that he had decided to disqualify the two rebel legislators by the end of the current legislative term in year 1. He rejected the resignation request made by the two rebel MLAs and approved the Congress and the JDS request to disqualify them.

With the absence of one MLA from Congress, the BSP and the Independent MLAs, including two rebels in the assembly, Chief Minister Kumaraswamy could not get a vote of confidence in the Congress-JDS coalition government. As a result, Kumaraswamy had to resign after a political drama and court battle lasting more than two weeks.

With Ramesh Kumar disqualifying four lawmakers on Sunday, the effective number of force in the six-member assembly has dropped to 5, and the magic figure for Yeddyurappa getting a trust vote has dropped to 1.

The BJP has its own strength 1 and since it has the support of an independent, its total strength is 2. Congress MLA (including nominee), JD (S) 2 and one of the BSP MLAs have been expelled from the party for not voting for the Kumaraswamy government during the trust vote.

"I have decided to disqualify the legislators based on my judicial discretion," Assembly Speaker Ramesh Kumar said. He is deeply hurt by the questions raised about his decision. He has decided on the petitions made by Congress and the JDS to disqualify the rebel legislators.

He rejected the request of the rebel legislators for four weeks to appear before him on the issue of his resignation. He made it clear that those MLAs have been disqualified under the anti-immigration law and will not be able to contest the term till the current house expires.

His decision has been disqualified by the BJP, rebel lawmakers and some legal experts. BJP leader Govind Karjol said the president had disqualified the legislators under party pressure. This decision is inappropriate and law breaking. Rebel leaders will challenge this decision in the Supreme Court and they will find 'justice'. Legislators voluntarily resigned, which the chair needed to accept. The Karnataka Congress has welcomed the president's decision to disqualify three legislators.

I will prove 100 percent majority: Yeddyurappa

(PTI) Bangalore, Ta. July 28, 2019, Sunday

On the eve of getting a vote of confidence in the Karnataka assembly, Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa expressed his confidence in proving the majority in the House on Sunday. He said that he would submit the Finance Bill introduced by the previous Congress-JDS government to the Legislative Assembly on Monday without any change. On Monday, I will prove my 5% majority.

He said that it was necessary for the bill to be passed in the house 'immediately'. Otherwise we will not be able to get the funds to pay. So after submitting the vote of confidence, we will introduce the first bill. In the previous Congress-JDS government-drafted bill, I did not change the comma or the period. Yeddyurappa announced on Friday that he would seek a vote of confidence immediately after taking oath as chief minister on Friday.