Governor refuses to comment on court''s order

Bangalore, Feb (PTI) Reacting to legal battles over thedisqualification of MLAs which the Karnataka High Court hasupheld, Governor H R Bhardwaj today said it was the job of thecourt to decide such matters and "it does not matter to me whowins or loses".

"It does not matter to me who wins or loses. The assemblyshould function. Every member must participate fully and dotheir job", he told reporters on the sidelines of a functionwhen asked to react on yesterday''s High Court verdict whichupheld the disqualification of five independent MLAs.

"It is the court''s job to decide the cases, not mine", hesaid.

Bhardwaj also sought to link the spate of petitions filedby disqualified MLAs challenging the order of Speaker K GBopaiah to the non-compliance of his advisory to the Speakerin October last to not to alter the character of the assemblytill the proceedings on vote of confidence were completed.

The Speaker, who rejected the advisory as an"interference" in the functioning of the Speaker''s office onOctober 10, passed orders disqualifying 16 MLAs, includingfive independents, from their assembly membership under theanti-defection law. This action of Bopaiah had brought downthe strength of the 224 assembly to 208.

On whether he had been disappointed, Bhardwaj, who has hadan uneasy relationship with the state''s BJP government eversince he assumed office, said "I am never disappointed overanything. I have my own reservations. In the last two years,my experience here has not been healthy with thingshappening".