Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Jul 24: Assembly speaker, K B Koliwad, took up the application seeking disqualification of eight JDS dissident legislators under anti defection laws for cross voting in defiance of party's whip during the Rajya Sabha election held on June 11 this year.

JDS legislators, Zameer Ahmed Khan, Cheluvaraswamy, H C Balakrishna, Akhanda Srinivasamurthy, K Gopalaiah, Ramesh Bandisiddegowda, Bheema Naik and Iqbal Ansari were sought to be disqualified by the JDS, which had requested the assembly speaker to take action under section 6 (2) of Anti Defection Act. 

The hearing had been scheduled for Saturday. On behalf of JDS, complainant MLA, B B Ningaiah, who presented himself at the hearing, gave explanation about his complaint. He noted that eight MLAs who were elecled under JDS symbol had cast their votes against the party diktat and therefore were suspended from the party. They also openly declared that they would be voting in favour of third candidate fielded by Congress, K C Ramamurthy. He quoted from various media statements and provided records and CDs as proof for his allegation.

Quoting the Supreme Court judgement in Ravi Nayak vs Goa government case, he prayed for disqualifying all the eight dissident MLAs as per this verdict and towards this end,  sought service of notices on them. Assembly speaker, K B Koliwad, adjourned hearing to August 23.

Ningaiah also noted that chief minister, Siddaramaiah, was constantly in touch with the legislators who cross-voted. He said that if found necessary, complaint will also be filed against the chief minister in accordance with law.