Karnataka rebel MLAs can contest bypolls

The 17 rebel MLAs from Karnataka have received a huge relief from the Supreme Court.

The court has allowed them to contest the by-elections scheduled to be held in the state on 5 December.

However, the top court has upheld the disqualification of the 17 rebel Karnataka MLAs as was ordered by the then Assembly Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar.

The MLAs belonged to the ruling Congress-JD(S) coalition and were disqualified by Kumar ahead of a trust vote in July this year and that had caused the government to fall.

After the Supreme Court verdict, Congress leader Siddaramaiah said, “I welcome the judgement.” He also said, “It is a lesson for the MLAs who wanted to join any other political party on whims and fancies or coercion by other parties.”

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa has said that the rebel MLAs will now join the BJP.

Jaiveer Shergill tweeted, “Supreme Court Judgment upholding disqualification of 17MLAs is living testimony of fact that current #BJP #Karnataka Govt is built on foundation of illegality & immorality & they entered the Vidhan Sabha thru “Chor Darwaza” -Yediyurappa must resign #Disqualifiedmlasverdict.”

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