Karnataka rebel BJP lawmakers' plea to now be heard on November 2

Bangalore, Oct. 21 (ANI): The Karnataka High Court on Thursday reserved its order on petitions filed by 11 rebel Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state assembly lawmakers challenging their disqualification by the Speaker of the House, K G Bopaiah after their withdrawal of support to the B S Yeddyurappa state government.

Justice V G Sabhahith had adjourned the hearing of the petitions on Wednesday.

A new division bench would now decide the petition by five independent MLAs on November 2.

The court had said earlier that the October 14 trust vote was subject to its verdict on the petitions by independents.

The lawmakers contend that Speaker Bopaiah's October 10 order was "vitiated" and "perverse" and their decision to withdraw support from the BJP Government in the state did not attract relevant provisions of the anti-defection law.

Judge Sabhahith is hearing the petitions after a division bench delivered a split verdict with Chief Justice J S Khehar upholding the Speaker's order and Justice N Kumar setting it aside.

The Speaker, had a day before the trust vote sought by Yeddyurappa, who is heading the first BJP government in south India, disqualified the 11 MLAs and five independents. (ANI)