Karnataka Bypolls 2019 LIVE: JD(S), Congress, BJP gear up for the upcoming byeelections

With the December 5 date of the Karnataka Bypolls closing in, the parties are campaigning at full steam. The BJP has awarded rebel MLAs with party tickets. Earlier, the Congress-JD(S) expressed displeasure on the Supreme Court's verdict on the disqualified MLAs that allowed them to contest in the upcoming bypolls. Stay tuned for more updates.

BJP releases third list of candidates for Karnataka Bypolls. In Ranibennur, the saffron party has fieldedArun Kumar Guththur.

BSY gives up on Roshan Baig, says can’t give him ticket

Seven-time legislator R Roshan Baig has been left deserted as Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa made it public on Friday that the BJP will not give him a ticket to contest the upcoming Karnataka bypolls on December 5.

Baig, the Congress rebel who has been disqualified, was hoping to be inducted into the BJP along with 16 other disqualified rebel MLAs who helped the BJP come to power. Baig also expected the BJP's ticket to contest the bypolls from his Shivajinagar constituency. But Baig was neither inducted nor given the ticket.

Read the full report here.

BJP rewards rebel MLAs with tickets

A day after the Supreme Court ruled that the 17 disqualified legislators could contest elections, 15 of them joined the BJP, which named 14 of them as the the party’s candidates for the December 5 byelections.

There were surprises in store as the BJP selected former corporator M Saravana as the candidate for Shivajinagar constituency, while withholding the ticket for the Ranebennur constituency, previously represented by R Shankar.

Read the full report here.

Karnataka Bypolls: BJP releases first list of 13 MLAs

The BJP on Thursday released the first list of names of candidates for the upcoming Karnataka bypolls scheduled on December 5, with all the names on the list being that of rebel MLAs from the Congress-JD(S) camp.

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BJP announces names of 13 rebel MLAs(disqualified) as its candidates for the first list of assembly bypolls in Karnataka. The Congress-JDS rebel MLAs had joined BJP earlier today in Bengaluru. - ANI

BSY calls rebel MLAs as 'Future MLAs, future ministers'

Chief minister B S Yediyurappa said that BJP would keep its promise to the rebel legislators and said that the rebels will be candidates for the upcoming elections from the saffron party.

The announcement came even as the party was finalising candidates for the upcoming byections. The party is expected to release the final list by today evening.
Yediyurappa was speaking at an event held at the BJP office to induct rebels MLAs of Congress and JD(S) on Thursday. "They are future MLAs (from the party) and future ministers', " Yediyurappa said, maintaining that the ruling BJP would secure all the 15 seats in the upcoming Assembly bypolls.

These MLAs have sacrificed everything to ensure that the BJP comes to power in the state. Due to this, all BJP workers should join hands and ensure that they are re-elected to the Assembly, he said.

Former JD(S) president A H Vishwanath, speaking at the event, said that they had quit the Congress-JD(S) coalition to rid the state from 'evil politics'. "We didn't quit for power," he said.

Rebel Karnataka MLAs barring Roshan Baig join BJP

After the Supreme Court verdict that cleared the decks for rebel Congress-JD(S) legislators to contest the upcoming bypolls, 15 out of the 17 MLAs joined BJP, here on Thursday.

The only exceptions to the 17 were former Shivajinagar MLA Roshan Baig and Hoskote MLA MTB Nagaraj. While Nagaraj had already joined the BJP, the saffron party to shied away from admitting to Baig's induction due to the ongoing investigation into the Monetary Advisory scam. Baig, it can be recalled, was detained by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the scam at Kempegowda International Airport in July this year.

Read the full report here.

Karnataka bypolls: Advantage BJP, firepower to Cong

It is advantage BJP with the Supreme Court paving the way for disqualified rebel legislators to contest the December 5 bypolls.

With many of the rebels likely to be fielded on the BJP ticket, the saffron party now stands a chance to aim for victory in constituencies where it had tasted defeat in the May 2018 Assembly polls.

Read the full report here.

'MLAs contesting polls against spirit of 10th Schedule'

In July, the then Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar ordered the disqualification of 17 rebel Congress and JD(S) legislators, barring them from becoming members of the Assembly till 2023. The Supreme Court, while upholding the disqualification, has allowed the rebels to contest. Shruthi H M Sastry ofDHspoke to Kumar on the verdict.

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Voters will reject rebels: Siddaramaiah

Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Siddaramaiah said on Wednesday that the Supreme Court had “partially upheld” the decision of former speaker K R Ramesh Kumar, disqualifying the rebel MLAs.

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Rebel MLAs to join BJP, party to announce candidates

Even as the BJP state leadership remained tight-lipped about the candidature of Congress-JD(S) rebels in the bypolls, the disqualified legislators are all set to join the saffron party on Thursday.

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Limabavali made bypolls in-charge

The BJP has appointed Mahadevapura MLA Arvind Limbavali as the party’s in-charge for the December 5 bypolls.

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Verdict against “conspiracy” of Ramesh Kumar-Siddu: BSY

Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Wednesday said the Supreme Court verdict allowing disqualified MLAs to contest elections was an answer to “the conspiracy hatched by the former Speaker and Siddaramaiah.”

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Dacoits can be ministers, why not us?: Jarkiholi

Jarkiholi, along with other disqualified MLAs, met BJP national general secretary B L Santosh to get assurance from the BJP ticket for bypoll, in the national capital on Wednesday. “The Supreme Court judgement is a slap on the face of Congress leaders,” he said.

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The Supreme Court verdict

Speaker can't go into motive behind resignation: SC

The Supreme Court on Wednesday held that the Speaker cannot go into the “motive” behind the resignation by a member of House, saying it is “constitutionally impermissible” to take into account “extraneous factors”.

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SC upholds constitutional morality in K'taka MLAs case

For the second time in two years, the Supreme Court of India was called upon to adjudicate in a complex and messy political situation in Karnataka arising out of the indecisive verdict of the 2018 Assembly elections. For the second time in two years, the Supreme Court has managed to uphold constitutional morality and values, and delivered carefully reasoned verdicts.

Last year in G Parameshwara v Union of India, the court intervened to ensure fairness between claimants for the chief minister’s position, this year, in Shrimanth Balasaheb Patil v Speaker, Legislative Assembly, the court intervened to ensure that MLAs who tried to get around the prohibitions of the anti-defection laws will not enjoy the fruits of their labours. But in reducing the period of their disqualification, the court ensured that Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar’s decision stuck to the letter of the Constitution without going overboard.

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Disqualified MLAs will join BJP on Nov 14: K'taka Dy CM

Hours after the Supreme Court on Wednesday paved the way for the 17 disqualified Congress- JD(S) legislators to contest the December 5 bypolls for 15 seats in Karnataka, Deputy Chief Minister Ashwathnarayan C N said they will be joining the BJP on November 14.

"They (disqualified legislators) have expressed interest to join BJP and have met our senior leaders. They have been welcomed to join the party," he said.

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Speaker can't go into motive behind resignation: SC

The Supreme Court on Wednesday held that the Speaker cannot go into the “motive” behind the resignation by a member of House, saying it is “constitutionally impermissible” to take into account “extraneous factors”.

A bench of Justices N V Ramana, Sanjiv Khanna and Krishna Murari said that the Speaker’s scope of inquiry with respect to acceptance or rejection of a resignation by a member of the legislature is limited to examine whether such resignation was tendered voluntarily or genuinely.

“The language of Article 190(3)(b) of the Constitution does not permit the Speaker to inquire into the motive of the resignation,” the court said.

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I will contest from Hunsur Assembly segment and am confident of wining the poll. After the result, I will become a minister in the BJP government in Karnataka, says disqualified MLAH Vishwanath.

BSY govt is 'illegal,' dismiss it, says Karnataka Congress

Welcoming the Supreme Court decision on the disqualified MLAs, the Congress in Karnataka on Wednesday said the verdict proves that the BJP-led government in the state was "illegal" and sought its dismissal. While KPCC President Dinesh Gundu Rao asked BJP not to give tickets to the disqualified legislators to contest polls if it has "any morality left," CLP leader Siddaramaiah said the verdict was a lesson to defectors to whom people would teach a lesson in the December 5 bypolls. (PTI)

Here's a glimpse of current Karnataka Assembly position:

BJP - 105
Congress - 65
JD(S) - 34
BSP - 1
Ind - 1
Nominated - 1
Total - 207

*This is excluding Speaker, who gets a vote only when there’s a tie.

The curious case of two MLAs who hadn’t resigned

Two of the 17 disqualified Karnataka legislators - R Shankar and Shrimant Patil - had not even resigned, but they will still have to face bypolls on December 5 in order to get re-elected to the Assembly.

Shankar was elected from the Ranebennur constituency from the Karnataka Pragnyavantha Janatha Party (KPJP) in the May 2018 Assembly polls.

Read the full report here.

BJP top leaders assured the rebel MLAs that the party would give ticket to all of them and BJP workers will work for their victory, according to sources.

To a question whether the BJP assured the party ticket to all disqualified MLAs in upcoming bypolls, Ashwath Narayan says, "We will disclose the decision in right time. There is confusion and all disqualified MLAs knows this. Wait and watch."

Deputy Chief Minister Ashwath Narayan meets BJP National Secretary B L Santosh. He says, all disqualified MLAs are happy with judgement. "We will welcome the judgement. All of them (rebel MLAs) also happy."

Rebel MLAs' meeting with BJP National General Secretary B L Santhosh ends. All rebel MLAs including B C Patil, H Vishwanath, Gopalaiah , Ramesh Jarkiholi, MTB Nagaraj leave for Bengaluru.

Dacoits can become ministers, why not disqulified MLAs?What wrong we have done. Former Speaker Ramesh Kumar took wrong decision and disqualified us, says Ramesh Jarkiholi.

All disqualified MLAs will be joining the BJP at the party state headquarter on Thursday at 10:30 am. Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and BJP National General Secretary B L Santosh will present during the event, says Narayana Gowda.

We are joining the BJP after being impressed with works done by the NDA government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Centre and the BJP government headed by B S Yediyurappa in Karnataka, says disqualified MLA Narayan Gowda.

The BJP will announce the giving ticket to rebel MLAs after they officially join the party, say BJP sources.

After giving them the BJP membership, the BJP will decide on giving ticket to rebel MLAs in upcoming bypolls, says rebel MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi.

All rebel MLAs to join the BJP at the party state headquarter in Bengaluru on Thursday and get their membership. Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa will also present during the event, saysB C Patil, a disqualifiedMLA.

All disqualified MLAs have decided to join the BJP, says Narayan Gowda.

Since Santhosh will play key role on deciding whom among rebel MLAs to give BJP tickets in the upcoming bypolls, rebel MLAs are meeting him is significant, according to BJP sources.

Former MLA Yogeshwar has also accompanied the rebel MLAs to BL Santhosh's residence.

Disqualified MLAs have arrived at BJP National General Secretary B L Santhosh's residence.

Karnataka Bypolls 2019: Key dates for 15 constituencies

The polling for the bye-elections in 15 assembly constituencies in Karnataka will now be held on December 5 and the votes will be counted on December 9, according to a statement released by the Election Commission of India.

The 15 constituencies are - Athani, Kagwad, Gokak, Yellapur, Hirekerur, Ranibennur, VIjayanagara, Chikkaballapur, K.R. Pura, Yeshvanthapura, Mahalakshml Layout, Shivajinagar, Hosakote, Krishnarajpet and Hunsur.

Read the full report here.

Cong welcomes SC verdict, demands state govt dismissal

Welcoming the decision of the Supreme Courtto allow rebel MLAs to contest in the upcoming Karnataka bypolls, Opposition leader Siddaramaiah said that the Supreme Court had partially upheld the decision of former speaker K R Ramesh Kumar. Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Dinesh Gundu Rao, meanwhile, termed the State government 'unconstitutional' and demanded that it be dismissed.

"I welcome the decision of the Supreme Court. A total of 14 Congress and threeJD(S) MLAs had resigned from the coalition government and violated the whip, after which we filed a petition in front of the Speaker," Siddaramaiah said. Based on the petition, the then Speaker observed that the 17 legislators had violated whip, and resignation was not voluntary. So, they were disqualified, he added.

Read the full report here.

BSY hails SC verdict; BJP may field rebels in bypolls

Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Wednesday hailed the Supreme Court’s decision to allow the 17 rebel legislators to contest bypolls, and said the BJP will decide later in the evening on whether or not they should be given the tickets.

“The SC decision was much awaited. Our earlier Speaker colluded with Siddaramaiah and hatched a conspiracy, against which the Supreme Court has taken a clear decision. We welcome the 17 MLAs being allowed to contest. All preparations have started. Starting tomorrow, we will go all out and 101% we will win all the seats,” Yediyurappa told reporters.

Read the full report here.

I had missed (trust vote session) due to ill health. I had even sent a letter and provided all documents regarding my health. The the Speaker had disqualified me out of political pressure and I was confident that the Supreme Court will rule in my favour. Now, I will go back to the people and seek re-election, saysShrimanth Patil fromKagwad seat.

Rebel MLAs H Vishwanth, B C Patil, Gopalaiah, Shivaram Hebbar, MTB Nagaraj are meeting with Deputy Chief Minister Aswathnarayan in a five-star hotel in Delhi. Rebel MLAs advocate Sandip Patil to brief them about the judgement.

Disqualification in itself is a blemish. Honourable Speaker had disqualified 17 MLAs after finding them guilty (of defection). Now, Supreme Court has upheld the disqualification. If Karnataka BJP has any morality, it shouldn't give tickets to these MLAs, says Congress Karnataka unit.

CM BS Yediyurappa welcomes the Supreme Court's decision and says that he will start campaigning for the upcoming bypolls from tomorrow.

Election Commission of India had earlier said all rebel MLAs can contest bypoll. So, the Supreme Courtjudgement came as per our expectation, says Shivaram Hebbar.

I know the pulseof people. I was a three-time MLA. I willl contest from the BJP and am confident of winning, says MTB Nagaraj.

Advocate-General Prabhuling Navadgi reaches Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa’s residence following the SC decision on rebel MLAs, according to media reports.

I am happy with the judgement. Will contest the election and I am confident of winning, saysB C Patil.

Now, the court has ruled that all disqualified MLAs can contest the upcoming polls. However, our argument was to ensure that my MLA post remained intact as I had not resigned from the post. But, the court has ruled similarly for all the 17 MLAs, saysR Shankar.

I thank the Supreme Court for allowing us to contest the elections. I was confident that the judgement will be in our favour and had started ground work for re-election. Even BJP workers will work for my victory in the upcoming bypolls, saysK Gopalaiah.

Here's a look at Karnataka bypolls election schedule in these 15 constituencies:

The polling for the bye-elections in 15 assembly constituencies in Karnataka will now be held on December 5 and the votes will be counted on December 9, according to Election Commission of India.

The EC had earlier scheduled the polling for the bye-elections in the 15 constituencies on October 21 and the counting on October 24. The poll-panel however agreed before the Supreme Court to defer the polling, so that the apex court can take a final decision on the pleas by the legislators, whom the former Speaker, K R Ramesh Kumar, had stripped of membership and debarred to be member again during the current term of the assembly.

The plea on disqualification controversy of MLAs was in Suprme Court and it has upheld former Speaker's decision, while allowing the rebels to contest in the polls. We welcome the verdict. As elections are announced already, party leaders will meet and take a call. The core committee will meet and discuss the future course of action during the day, says Naleen Kumar Kateel, BJP state president.

The judgement of the Supreme Court on Karnataka rebel MLAs has became a precedent for such incidents arised in future in the country, adds Patil.

The Speaker ruling of disqualifying the 17 MLAs till 2023 has been dismissed by the Supreme Court, adds Patil.

The Supreme Court also said the Speaker should act as per the Constitution and not as per the political compulsion, says Patil.

The Supreme Court's order bringsrelief to rebel MLAs as the Supreme Court has allowed them to contest in the upcoming bypolls, says Patil.

Disqulification has been upheld, the Supreme Court did not say anything on the resignation of MLAs, says Sandip Patil.

Till rebel MLAs are re-elected, they can't hold any posts in the government including ministerial berths, saysSandip Patel , advocate for rebels.

The Supreme Court’s order today shows that even before people had a right to make a decision, the Congress Speaker himself had debarred them from polls. They had passed an illegal order of debarring them: BJP leader Vivek Reddy tells CNN News 18.

The Supreme Courthas allowed us to contest elections. We welcome the decision of the apex court, as it is the highest judicial authority. The judgement, however, is not according to our expectations, says MTB Nagaraj.

Once the Speaker is satisfied that the member has tendered resignation freely, Speaker is bound to accept it, says Supreme Court.

"We welcome and respect the SC decision. Not everything happens as we expect. We removed a bad government. Now, there's a stable government. People are ready; my constituents are ready. All of us will win and get re-elected," says Congress' disqualified MLA BC Patil.

We do not appreciate the manner in which the petitioners knocked on the doors of this court, says SC.

First reaction from disqualified Congress MLA Pratapgouda Patil: "The verdict hasn't made us fully content. But that we can contest bypolls is a relief. We're confident of winning the bypolls."

Supreme Court says that the rebel MLAs can't be given Cabinet posts unless the win the bypolls.

SC, however, sets aside the order to the extent of debarring them to contest bypolls.

JUST IN | Supreme Court upholds ex-Speaker's order to disqualify 17 rebel MLAs.

The Bench of Justices NV Ramana, Sanjiv Khanna, and Krishna Murari assembles.

The Congress, which is desperate for vengeance against the rebel MLAs, is keeping its fingers crossed hoping that the SC will uphold former Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar’s decision to disqualify them till 2023.

The December 5 bypolls are crucial for the ruling BJP as it needs to win at least 7-8 seats out of 15 in order to secure a majority in the Assembly. The BJP is backing the rebel MLAs, and hopes the Supreme Court willrulein their favour.

Rebel MLAs are jittery ahead of the Supreme Court'sverdict. If their disqualification is upheld, as ordered by the then Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar, they cannot contest elections till May 2023.

SC verdict to decide the fate of 17 rebel Congress-JD(S) MLAs who were disqualified, paving the way for the BJP to come to power. The MLAs have challenged their disqualification.

Karnataka BJP core committee is scheduled to meet at 3 pm today to review the SC verdict.

Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa to remain holed up in his home all morning to watch the SC verdict.

SC verdict on disqualified MLAs: Parties on edge

Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa has no official engagements till 3 pm on Wednesday, keeping himself unoccupied all morning to review the Supreme Court’s verdict on the disqualification of rebel legislators.

The SC verdict is crucial as it will decide the fate of the 17 MLAs whose resignation, and subsequent disqualification, paved the way for the BJP to come to power.

Read the full report here.

Other rebel MLAs – 13 from Congress and three from JDS - claimed they were disqualified by the Speaker under the provisions of the Tenth Schedule (anti-defection) law, though they had resigned from membership of the House due to various reasons.

Among 17 ex-legislators, one Congress MLA Shirmanth B Patil, who was admitted to a Mumbai hospital and did not participate in trust vote, was also disqualified by then-Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar.

A bench of Justices N V Ramana, Sanjiv Khanna and Krishna Murari would deliver its judgment on as many as nine separate petitions by the disqualified legislators.

The Supreme Court is likely to decide on Wednesday fate of 17 rebel MLAs of Congress and JDS whose move has caused fall of the coalition government led by H D Kumaraswamy in July and helming of BJP leader B S Yediyurappa as Chief Minister of Karnataka.