Return of Lawmakers Could Mean Trouble for Yeddyurappa

Bangalore/New Delhi, May 13 (IANS): The Supreme Court Friday restored the membership of 16 disqualified Karnataka legislators, a development that could threaten continuation of B.S. Yeddyurappa as chief minister.

The 16 lawmakers, 11 of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and five Independents, were disqualified Oct 11, hours before Yeddyurappa was to seek confidence vote in the assembly following their withdrawal of support to him.

Most of the 16 lawmakers, who were in New Delhi for the keenly awaited verdict, told reporters that they would meet late Friday to decide their future course of action.

They did not give a direct reply to whether they would again seek removal of Yeddyurappa.

"We will discuss and take a decision," Belur Gopalakrishna, a legislator from Sagar in Yeddyurappa's home district of Shimoga, about 280 km from Bangalore, told reporters.

The court verdict dampened celebrations by Yeddyurappa and his supporters over winning all the three assembly by-polls Friday.

Voting had taken place for the three seats April 9 and counting was held Friday.

Excluding the 11 party lawmakers whose membership was restored Friday, the BJP has 109 members in the 225-member assembly (including one nominated) and enjoys the support of one independent.

The Congress has 71 members and the Janata Dal-Secular 26. One seat is vacant.

The victorious 16 lawmakers now hold the key to the fate of Yeddyurapa, who is already facing increasing dissidence over his continuation in view of various charges of corruption and illegal land deals against him.

In Bangalore, BJP spokesperson and special representative in New Delhi V. Dhananjaya Kumar said there was no threat to Yeddyuappa as the 11 legislators who won their case remained BJP members.

After the apex court verdict Yeddyurappa held a meeting with ministers and legislators supporting him to discuss the impact and decide on steps to win over as many as 16 lawmakers to supporting him.

Earlier report:

Supreme Court Nullifies Speaker's Order on Disqualified MLAs

Bangalore/New Delhi, May 13: The Supreme Court on Friday May 13 nullified Karnataka speaker's decision on the disqualified MLAs.

The SC has stated that the speaker's decision was against the Constitution and that he had taken it in a hurry.

"The decision was impelled by extraneous considerations," the Supreme Court said.

The SC also said that the Speaker's decision had violated justice and that he did not give the rebel MLAs a chance to voice themselves.

The verdict is a huge relief for the MLAs but for Yeddyurappa it comes as a big blow as the government may now be reduced to a minority.

The MLAs, who can now retain their posts in the legislative assembly, are elated at the verdict, and plan to decide on the further course of action after a meet.

The 11 disqualified MLAs are SK Bellubbi, Gopalakrishna Beluru, Anand Asnotikar, Balachandra Jarkiholi, BN Sarvabhouma Bagali, Raju Kage, Y Sampangi, GN Nanjundaswamy, MV Nagaraju, Shivan Gowda Nayak and HS Shankaralinge Gowda.
 
PM Narendraswamy, Shivaraj Thangadagi, Gulihatti D Shekhar, Venkataramanappa and D Sudhakar, are the Independents.

The MLAs had filed petitions challenging the High Court’s orders upholding their disqualification by the Speaker.

A Bench comprising justices Altmas Kabir and Cyriac Joseph delivered the verdict.