Disqualification plea: Gubbi MLA says not involved in anti-party activities

Expelled JD(S) Gubbi MLA SR Srinivas has urged Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri to dismiss the disqualification petition against him, describing it as having “malafide intention” to “damage” his political career.

Srinivas has defended himself in his reply to a notice by the Speaker’s office over a petition filed by the JD(S) seeking the lawmaker’s disqualification under the anti-defection
law.

During the June 10 Rajya Sabha election, Kolar MLA K Srinivas Gowda was accused of casting his first preference vote for Congress’ Mansoor Ali Khan and the second preference vote for BJP’s Lahar Singh Siroya.

Similarly, Srinivas was accused of voting for Siroya first and then Khan. Their cross-voting contributed to the defeat of the JD(S) candidate D Kupendra Reddy.

Srinivas, who replied to the notice through his advocate, said he had displayed the ballot paper to the party agent H D Revanna and “no grievance was raised” at the time.

“Only after the results were announced there were different versions from JD(S) leaders regarding vote cast. The petition filed by the petitioner is not maintainable either under law or on facts of the case,” states Srinivas’ reply, which DH has accessed.

Srinivas stated that he was not involved in or assigned any work by the JD(S) since January 2021.

“JD(S) state and national functionaries began visiting Gubbi constituency and organised meetings/rallies under the banner of JD(S) without inviting the respondent (Srinivas) and they went on to announce the name of one B S Nagaraju as the next candidate from the Gubbi constituency. Even prior to any statement by the respondent, the JD(S) had premeditated a plan to deny the ticket and expel him,” the reply stated.

Srinivas further said that he had not done any anti-party activities calling for disqualification.

He added that he was sidelined by the party and not allowed to attend meetings in Bengaluru as well as in his constituency.