We joined BSY govt, not BJP, claim disqualified MLAs

“Our joining the government as Cabinet ministers or extending the support in May, 2008, did not mean that we have joined the BJP legislature party,” senior advocate K K Venugopal submitted before a Bench of Justices Altamas Kabir and Cyriac Joseph.

The apex court began hearing the arguments on merit on two petitions filed by five independent MLAs challenging a High Court verdict upholding their disqualification.

Venugopal also mentioned the turn of events leading to the disqualification of the MLAs after they wrote a letter to the state Governor expressing their disillusionment with the BJP government.

 “The MLAs were disqualified by the Speaker in an order issued on October 10, last year while an RTI reply furnished to them on October 26 by the state secretariat still showed them as independents, thereby, showing that they were never a part of the BJP legislature party,” the counsel said. The five independent MLAs — M P Narendraswamy, Shivaraj Tangadagi, Venkataramanappa, D Sudhakar and Goolihatti Shekar — were disqualified as they submitted a letter to the Governor four days ago withdrawing their support to the Yeddyuruppa government.