39 JD-S MLAs disqualification plea adjourned

Bangalore, Nov 24: Karnataka Assembly Speaker Krishna today adjourned the hearing of the petition seeking disqualification of 39 JD(S) MLAs, including former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy, to December 1 due to indisposition.

Officials in the Speaker's office said a second summon had been sent to JD(S) President H D Deve Gowda, who failed to appear before the Speaker earlier citing that he had not received the first summon.

The petition, filed by three Legislators, Vatal Nagaraj, Rajendran and G V Sriraama Reddy, sought disqualification of the JD(S) Legislators from Assembly in view of their anti-party activities based on a letter written to Mr Gowda.

They had also questioned the election of Mr Kumarswamy as JD(S) Legislature Party Leader in the backdrop of the splinter group of JD(S) MLAs aligning with the BJP to form the coalition government in February 2006.

They contended that Mr Gowda had written to Governor stating that Mr Kumaraswamy should not be invited to form the government as they had flouted the party ideologies and party did not approve the group joining hands with the BJP.

The three Legislators had even approached the High Court against the inordinate delay by the Speaker in resolving the issue, but the court did not entertain them and referred it back to the Speaker.

UNI