Cong submits disqualification plea against 4 ‘rebels’

The Congress on Monday moved a petition before Legislative Assembly Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar seeking disqualification of four of its ‘rebel’ legislators under the Anti-defection Law.

The party has sought the disqualification of former minister and Gokak MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi, Chincholi MLA Umesh Jadhav, Athani MLA Mahesh Kumatahalli and Bellary MLA B Nagendra for “anti-party activities” and repeated violation of whips. They are widely believed to be in touch with the BJP, leading to speculation that they will resign.

Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Dinesh Gundu Rao submitted the petition, which runs into nearly 100 pages, to Kumar at his chamber in Vidhana Soudha.

The party has sought their disqualification “under the rules of the anti-defection law due to the continued absence in spite of repeated notices and issuing of whips,” Siddaramaiah said in a tweet.

The Anti-defection Law is contained in the 10th Schedule of the Constitution introduced by the 52nd Amendment in 1985. A legislator is considered to have defected if one either voluntarily gives up the membership of one’s party or disobeys the directives of the party leadership on a vote. The Congress had warned the four MLAs of disqualification on grounds that their absence to the CLP meets will be considered as their decision to voluntarily quit the party’s membership.

The decision to get these four MLAs disqualified was taken at a special CLP meeting held on February 8 - the day Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy presented the 2019-20 state budget. The party had issued a whip seeking compulsory attendance of all its MLAs. Not only did these four skip the February 8 CLP meet, but they also missed the one held on January 18.

Jarkiholi, Jadhav, Kumatahalli and Nagendra had cited personal reasons for skipping the CLP meeting on February 8. The party, however, has built a case against them based on which it has sought their disqualification.