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.

The BJP core committee is scheduled to meet later in the day where the party will take a call on fielding the disqualified rebel MLAs. “We will discuss (that) today in the core committee and decide in the evening (on fielding the rebels),” he said, adding that all the rebel MLAs are expected to arrive in the city. “We will discuss with them along with our state party president and national leaders.”

The BJP needs to win at least 7-8 seats out of the 15 assembly constituencies and the Supreme Court's decision allowing the disqualified MLAs to contest is seen as a shot in the arm for the saffron party. If the BJP chooses to field them, the party will have to deal with rebellion from several leaders who lost the May 2018 Assembly polls and are up in arms against the rebels contesting the bypolls.

“As on today, everything is okay. Our candidates will win in all constituencies,” Yediyurappa said, brushing aside questions on rebellion within his party.