Council chief on MLCs' disqualification

Legislative Council chairperson D H Shankarmurthy on Saturday said the petition seeking disqualification of certain BJP MLCs could be adjudicated, provided the petitioner and the MLCs co-operate for conducting a hearing.

BJP MLC Ashwathnarayana had petitioned to the chairperson seeking disqualification of six BJP MLCs on the grounds that they had indulged in anti-party activities.
Shankarmurthy said all the MLCs had replied to his notice, but the petitioner’s opinion had to be heard.

BJP MLCs Shivaraj Sajjanar and Mohan Limbikai have already resigned as members. Petitions against the rest four – B J Puttaswamy, Bharati Shetty, Mumtaz Ali Khan and M D Lakshminarayana – are pending.

Referring to the Council session, which will commence on Monday, the chairman said the council would meet till Friday. There will be no question hour, but there will be a discussion on motion of thanks to the governor’s address, besides allowing tabling of call attention, he said.

He said the Land Revenue (Second Amendment) Bill 2012 had been returned by the governor and that it had been sent back to the government. In case the government wants it, the same would be tabled, he said.