K'taka Speaker disqualifies 3 rebel MLAs responsible for bringing down govt
New Delhi, Jul 25 (IBNS): The Karnataka Speaker on Thursday disqualified three of 17 rebel lawmakers for bringing down the Congress and HD Kumaraswamy's Janata Dal-Secular government.
Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar disqualified two from the Congress party-Ramesh Jarkiholi and Mahesh Kumathahalli, who had resigned earlier this month.
The third one is R Shankar, an Independent legislator from Ranebennur, who had initially supported the Congress- JD(S) government and then switched sides.
"I don't have the power to penalise the 3 MLAs," the Speaker said during a press conference on Thursday evening amid suspense over the fate of the rest of the rebels lawmakers.
"Everybody is watching my behaviour... If the finance bill not passed by July 31... it is responsibility that such a financial impasse is not created. By Monday, it will be 29th. I have to discharge my obligation," he said.
The 14-month-old Congress-JD(S) government in Karnataka failed to prove its majority in the trust vote on Tuesday evening and fell.
The coalition could only get 99 votes as compared to 105 of the BJP.
The decision of the Speaker over the issue of rebel lawmakers is vital for the formation of a new government.
With the Speaker's decision to disqualify the rebels for defying their parties, they cannot get ministries in the new BJP government as they have to contest again. If their resignations are accepted, they can be rewarded with ministries.
The current strength of the 224 member Assembly is 210 with 105 being the magic number. BJP is sitting pretty with 107.
