BJP counter attack: Disqualification looms over 13 MLAs

Bangalore/New Delhi, Jan 28: The counter attack strategy adopted by Bharatiya Janata Party in Karnataka signals aggressive politics to be adopted by the newly installed president Rajanath Singh.

The ruling BJP in Karnataka has decided to seek disqualification of 13 party MLAs for 'anti-party' activities. These legislators from BS Yeddyurappa's camp had announced their decision to quit their assembly membership and put the government on mat.

Rajnath Singh seems have given green signal to take tough stand in this matter when he met Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar on Monday. At the same time Rajnath told Shettar not to compromise on the BJP's principles even if the current situation threatened the survival of the government in Karnataka.

The BJP petition has been filed with the Assembly Speaker K G Bopahiah, seeking their disqualification on the charge of 'anti-party' activities and it also urged the Speaker not to accept the resignation of the 13 MLAs.

Their attempt to submit their resignations to the Speaker on Jan 23 came to nought as Bopahiah was not in station, an issue which angered them and made them petition Governor H R Bhardwaj.

Giving vast hopes to the ruling BJP, the governor had stated on January 26 that the Jagadish Shettar government still enjoyed a majority and as leader of the BJP legislature party, it was left left to him to take action on the issue of resignation of the 13 MLAs.

Before going to Delhi to meet Rajnath, Shettar on Sunday met swamjis of 50 mutts, a majority of them from Lingayat mutts, at his home office in Bangalore. Shettar's interaction with the seers was aimed at seeking their support and put pressure on Yeddyurappa, who had this habit of approaching seers to swing public opinion.

The BJP has 117 members in the 224-member Assembly. The Congress has 71 members while the JDS has 26. The House has seven Independents while one member is nominated. Two seats are vacant.

With PTI inputs