BSY meets Shah before SC hearing

THE SPEAKER, K.R. Ramesh Kumar, disbarred the disqualified legislators from participating in the current Vidhan Sabha’s proceedings and therefore, had appealed before the Supreme court for a relief

Ahead of the Supreme Court hearing on Karnataka’s rebel Congress-JDS MLAs’ plea, who were disqualified by the former Speaker, chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa on Sunday met BJP national president and Union home minister Amit Shah.

Hopeful of a “positive judgement,” Mr Yeddiyurappa said since the Speaker, during the earlier JDSCongress government, did not follow “principles of natural justice,” the judgement would be in the BJP’s favour.

With the Election Commission announcing the bypolls for Assembly seats represented by the rebel MLAs, Mr Yediyurappa rushed to Delhi to meet Mr Shah.

The bypolls will be held on October 21 and counting will be held on October 24. The rebel MLAs were disqualified by Speaker K.R. Ramesh Kumar under the tenth schedule after they did not participate in the trust vote in July, leading to the ouster of the Congress-JDS government.

“We are hopeful of a positive Supreme Court verdict. Since the Speaker has not followed principles of natural justice, the judgement would be in

our favour .... ,” Mr Yeddiyurappa said after the meeting.

The Speaker disbarred the disqualified MLAs from participating in the current Vidhan Sabha’s proceedings and therefore, had appealed before the apex court for a relief.

The BJP currently has 104 MLAs (excluding the Speaker) in the 207-member assembly and needs to win at least ten seats to take its tally to 114, the simple majority mark in a full House of 224 members.

During his meeting with Mr Shah, the Karnataka chief minister also sought `2,000 crore as urgent relief for the flood-affected state. Mr Yeddiyurappa said that the home minister assured hm that the relief and other emergency works will not be affected in the state as they have been exempted from the purview of the poll code.