<p>A complaint has been filed with the Election Commission of India (ECI) seeking disqualification of 11 MLAs and two other legislators of the state as they held positions of office-of-profit.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The complaint filed by one B R Prasad of Hassan district has named 11 parliamentary secretaries and three other legislators for holding positions of office-of-profit and has sought their disqualification. <br /><br />The ECI has in turn forwarded the complaint to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly and Chairman of the Legislative Council to hold necessary proceedings and take suitable action.<br />Assembly Secretary S Murthy, in a notice to the complainant, has stated that he should depose before Speaker K G Koliwad on August 23 to provide details and supporting material regarding his complaint. <br /><br />Secretariat sources said legislators who have been appointed parliamentary secretaries to assist various Cabinet ministers face no threat of disqualification. The JD(S)-BJP coalition government in 2006 amended the Karnataka Legislature (Prevention of Disqualification) Act to exclude the post of parliamentary secretary from the purview of the office-of-profit clause. <br /><br />However, it was not clear whether disqualification clause would apply to MLC V S Urgappa, who heads a panel to women’s safety and another MLC Jayamala, who heads a committee to study the problems of sex workers, devadasis and sexual minorities in the state. Council Chairman D H Shankaramurthy said he had received the letter from ECI and would look into it shortly.<br />DH News Service</p>
<p>A complaint has been filed with the Election Commission of India (ECI) seeking disqualification of 11 MLAs and two other legislators of the state as they held positions of office-of-profit.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The complaint filed by one B R Prasad of Hassan district has named 11 parliamentary secretaries and three other legislators for holding positions of office-of-profit and has sought their disqualification. <br /><br />The ECI has in turn forwarded the complaint to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly and Chairman of the Legislative Council to hold necessary proceedings and take suitable action.<br />Assembly Secretary S Murthy, in a notice to the complainant, has stated that he should depose before Speaker K G Koliwad on August 23 to provide details and supporting material regarding his complaint. <br /><br />Secretariat sources said legislators who have been appointed parliamentary secretaries to assist various Cabinet ministers face no threat of disqualification. The JD(S)-BJP coalition government in 2006 amended the Karnataka Legislature (Prevention of Disqualification) Act to exclude the post of parliamentary secretary from the purview of the office-of-profit clause. <br /><br />However, it was not clear whether disqualification clause would apply to MLC V S Urgappa, who heads a panel to women’s safety and another MLC Jayamala, who heads a committee to study the problems of sex workers, devadasis and sexual minorities in the state. Council Chairman D H Shankaramurthy said he had received the letter from ECI and would look into it shortly.<br />DH News Service</p>
