JOIN USDisqualification of 5 MLCs sought
The State BJP, which is in no mood to pardon any of its legislators who have identified themselves with the Karnataka Janata Pary (KJP), on Tuesday filed a petition in the office of the Legislative Council chairman seeking disqualification of five of its MLCs owing allegiance to KJP president B S Yeddyurappa for allegedly indulging in anti-party activities.
The petition on behalf of the BJP, signed by two MLCs Ashwathanarayana and Somanna Bevinamarada, was submitted to the Secretary of the Legislative Council V Sreesh as Council Chairperson D H Shankaramurthy is on a foreign tour.
On the radar
The petition has sought disqualification of Bharathi Shetty and B J Puttaswamy (both elected from Legislative Assembly constituency), Mohan Limbikai (Graduates’ constituency), Shivaraj Sajjanar (elected by Local Authorities constituency) and Mumtaz Ali Khan (nominated member who has associated himself with the BJP) for associating themselves with Yeddyurappa’s KJP while being in the BJP or affiliated to the party.
The BJP had planned to include the name of nominated MLC M D Lakshminarayana, a Yeddyurappa loyalist, also in the disqualification petition. Lakshminarayana’s name was dropped from the list after the BJP learnt that he had not signed any affidavit or given a declaration stating that he has joined the BJP.
Annexures
The disqualification petition has several annexures, including newspaper clippings and video footage, to suggest that the five MLCs had attended the KJP’s inaugural convention in Haveri on December 9 despite being in the BJP, thus attracting disqualification under Section (2) (1) (a) of the Tenth schedule of the Constitution.
The BJP has claimed that the five MLCs regularly attended KJP meetings and issued statements against the State government.
The petitioners have sought that the disqualification proceedings be taken up immediately and the MLCs disqualified with effect from December 9, 2012.
Decision after February 2
Legislative Council Chairperson D H Shankaramurthy has said that he will go through the petition submitted to his office after he returns from his foreign tour on February 2.
When contacted by Deccan Herald, the chairperson, who is now in New Zealand, said that action could be taken against legislators including MLCs if they indulge in anti-party activities.
Once they contest elections after submitting the ‘B’ form, MLCs will have to face the same action as MLAs in case they indulge in anti-party activities.