Daijiworld Media Network – Bangalore (SP)

Bangalore, Jan 18: Advocates for the petitioners concluded their prolonged arguments on Monday January 17 in the petition filed by five independent MLAs, who were disqualified by the assembly speaker under anti-defection rules. Advocate for the assembly speaker started presenting his counter arguments thereafter.

Continuing his arguments before the full division bench comprising Justice Mohana Shantana Goudar, Justice A S Bopanna and Justice Abdul Nazir, P P Rao, advocate for the disqualified MLAs, claimed that there are no records to show that these MLAs had joined the BJP. He said the assembly speaker had neither raised the topic of disqualification in the house, nor appointed a committee to examine the circumstances.

Opposing this argument, advocate for the speaker, Satyapal Jain, pointed out that the disqualified legislators, in their petition to the Governor, had said that the Chief Minister had behaved in a way that is detrimental to the stature of the party. “If they were not with the BJP, what have they to do with the party’s standing?” he questioned.

He further said that there is no rule that the legislators should be disqualified in the house itself. Jain further argued that they were disqualified, duly observing the fact that they were involved with the BJP legislators initially, and then with the disgruntled BJP MLAs, apart from participating in the legislature party meetings and political meetings. “How can these MLAs, who received party whips, took part in the legislature party meetings, and acted as ministers for the BJP government, now claim that they are not part of the party?” he questioned.