Bypolls: CM welcomes decision, Oppn cautious

The Supreme Court's decision to postpone the Assembly byelections has evoked mixed reactions from political parties in the state.

Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, who welcomed the decision, took a dig at the Opposition parties for their skepticism over the decision. With the next hearing of the case posted for October 22, he said parties had to wait and watch for the final order in the case.

"The decision, however, has provided relief to the anxious MLAs," he said.

JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy, who refrained from commenting on the SC decision took a dig at the Election Commission (EC). He questioned why the lawyer representing the constitutional body had "voluntarily approached the Supreme Court and submitted to postpone the elections."

Noting that the EC was a constitutional body, he said that the interference by the Centre had demoralised such institutions of the country and these were signs of 'dark days of democracy'.

Karnataka Congress welcomed the postponement of the bypolls, saying this strengthened its legal fight against the disqualified ‘rebel’ legislators.

“The Supreme Court is going to look at the real intention of the anti-defection law and the orders of (former) Speaker Ramesh Kumar. If disqualified MLAs can contest bypolls, what’s the use of the law?” KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao said, referring to the anti-defection law under which the Congress managed to get the rebel MLAs disqualified.

However, AICC general secretary and Karnataka incharge K C Venugopal cast aspersions on the EC, tweeting: "One wonders at the wisdom of the Election Commission as it appears to have postponed the elections under instructions of the government to favour their agenda."