Karnataka crisis: High Court reserves verdict for Monday

Bangalore, Oct 12 (ANI): The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday reserved its order on whether the 16 MLAs were disqualified incorrectly by the Speaker of the Assembly for next Monday as the court has been closed for a week for Dussehra vacation.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice J S Kehar and Justice N Kumar heard the two petitions filed by disqualified MLAs claiming that their disqualification amounts to abuse of power by Speaker KG Bopaih.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa is taking the battle to save his 28-month Government to Delhi to protest against Governor HR Bhardwaj's role in the entire episode.

The Governor had on October 10 written to the Speaker, asking him to conduct the trust vote on October 11 on the basis of the party positions as on October 6 - with the BJP at 116, the Congress at 73, the JD (S) at 28, Independents at six and the Speaker. After the trust vote on Monday, Bhardwaj, had, in a report to the Centre, described the vote as "a farce" and recommended the President's rule.

Earlier, a one line motion moved by Yeddyurappa was passed, even as the House witnessed unprecedented scenes with the opposition Congress and the JD (S) refusing to accept the outcome. efore the trust vote, the Speaker disqualified 16 rebel MLAs, including 11 from BJP under the provision of the anti defection law.

In his order, Bopaiah said these MLAs have been disqualified under the provision of the anti-defection law as envisaged in the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution.

Those BJP MLAs, who were disqualified are: Balachandra Jarkiholi, Belur Gopala Krishna, Anand Asnotikar, Dr Sarvabowma Bagali, V Nagaraju, Raje Kage, Y Sampangi, Nanjundaswamy, S K Bellubbi, H S Shankara Lingegowda and Shivanagouda Naik.

Former Ministers Venkataramanappa, Shivaraj Tangadagi, Goolihatti Sekhar and M P Narendraswamy and independent MLAs were also disqualified.

The disqualification of the MLAs had brought down the strength of the 224-member Assembly to 208. (ANI)