Orders reserved on MLAs' plea

BANGALORE - The Karnataka High Court on Thursday reserved orders on the petition by 11 Bharatiya Janata Party legislators who had challenged their disqualification from the Assembly.

Justice V.G. Sabhahit, the third judge hearing their plea against disqualification, heard arguments for two days before reserving orders on the petition by the rebels questioning the legality and validity of the October 11 order of Speaker K.G. Bopaiah.

The rebels claimed in the High Court that "we are still with the BJP and have never left the party" and said "the Speaker's order is perverse and he has not relied on independent material before passing orders. The Speaker has blindly gone by the petition filed before him by Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa for taking action against us."

Counsel Soli Sorabjee and Satya Pal Jain, defending the Speaker, said there was limited scope for judicial review of a Speaker's order. If the rebels were disillusioned with the leadership of the Chief Minister, they could have approached the party for redress of their grievance. "How could they have gone to the Governor and what relief could he have given them," they asked.

One more Congress legislator, M. Narayanaswamy, representing the Bangarpet constituency, tendered his resignation from the membership of the Assembly to the Speaker. So far, three legislators - two from the Congress and one from the Janata Dal (Secular) - have quit the Assembly aimed at depleting the strength of the Opposition vis-?is the ruling party.

In the second trust vote on October 14, the BJP had a strength of 106 against 100 of the Opposition.

Courtesy : The Hindu, Oct 21,2010