BJP holds meet in Soudha ahead of rebel MLAs' return

The BJP on Thursday decided to hold its Legislature Party meeting at Vidhana Soudha in the evening when the rebel Congress-JD(S) MLAs are scheduled to appear before Assembly Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar as directed by the Supreme Court.

Sources in the BJP said the decision to hold the LP meeting at Vidhana Soudha is a strategic move to ensure the safety of the rebel MLAs. The saffron party had earlier planned to hold the LP meeting at the party office at Malleshwaram.

The apex court told the 10 rebel MLAs of the Congress and the JD(S), who are camping in a Mumbai hotel, to appear before the Speaker by 6 pm to enable him to decide on their resignations "during the course of the day". Accordingly, all the rebels will be arriving at Vidhana Soudha by evening.

High drama was witnessed at Vidhana Soudha on Wednesday when Congress workers manhandled rebel party MLA K Sudhakar after he submitted his resignation letter to the Speaker. The BJP had subsequently staged a dharna and accused the Congress of indulging in goondaism.