Export case: MLA, ex-MLA acquitted
◗ The former legislators rued that national leaders were keen on meeting them in the past, but had begun cold shouldering them after the BJP came to power
Ballari: A Special Court for People’s Representatives, Bengaluru, has acquitted Ballari Rural Congress MLA B. Nagendra and disqualified MLA B.S. Anand Singh in a case of illicit iron ore trading and export from the Belekeri port in Karwar. The court acquitted the duo due to lack of evidence.
Karnataka chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa had a harrowing time Friday night as disqualified MLAs confronted him at his home in the city over the BJP national leadership’s lukewarm response to their ‘SOSes,’ according to party sources.
They reportedly warned Mr Yediyurappa that they would not remain silent for long if the party’s central leadership continued to ignore them.
Going by sources, the former legislators, who have been in a limbo since they helped topple the Kumaraswamy government, rued that the national leaders were keen on meeting them in the past, but had begun cold shouldering them after the BJP government came to power in Karnataka.
They argued that if the party high command wanted, senior lawyers could be engaged to fast forward their case in the Supreme Court.
In response, Mr Yediyurappa is said to
have merely contended that since the case was pending in court, the party could not interfere. Earlier, at a meeting on Friday evening, the former legislators decided to engage two or three lawyers to fight their case in the Supreme Court against the former Karnataka Speaker’s decision to disqualify them following their resignations from the state assembly.
Sources reveal that the party high command is keeping a distance from the entire affair as it was against pulling down the coalition government in the manner that it was done and instead wanted to impose President’s rule in Karnataka and then hold elections in six months.
But when Mr Yediyurappa reportedly argued that he could form the government comfortably, the national leaders reluctantly agreed, saying he could do so at his own risk as they did not trust the disqualified MLAs. On seeing their career graphs, they were worried taking their help would leave the party open to blackmail and the 2019 government would be worse than the 2008. Even now, the BJP high command reportedly believes that if bypolls are announced, a few of the disqualified MLAs could return to the Congress.