The plea for disqualification of 39 JD(S) MLAs, including former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy, will come up for hearing before Speaker Krishna in Bangalore on Saturday.
JD(S) national president H D Deve Gowda is required to appear before the Speaker on Saturday following a notice issued to him a month ago. The Speaker had issued a notice to Mr Gowda asking him to depose in connection with the issues raised in the petition.
Mr Nagaraj and two other MLAs had contended Mr Kumaraswamy and 38 other legislators should be disqualified from the membership under the provisions of anti-defection law.
They had claimed Mr Kumaraswamy and other MLAs had “defected” from JD(S) when they formed government with BJP in February 2006 and it was evident from a letter written by Mr Gowda to the then Governor.
Saturday’s hearing on the petition has raised curiosity in the political circle to know whether Mr Gowda would abstain from hearing. The party legislators would face disqualification if Mr Gowda deposes before the Speaker that they had defected in 2006.
Two other petitions filed by JD(S) seeking disqualification of seven party MLAs, who have associated with Siddaramaiah and one related to disqualification of PGR Sindhia too would come up for hearing.