Five okay, 8 not okay: Karnataka Speaker on resignation letters of MLAs

Bengaluru, July 09: The Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, Ramesh Kumar said that he would be able to process only five of the resignation letters sent in by the rebel MLAs as only they were in the prescribed format.

The Speaker said that the 8 other resignations were not in the prescribed format. This would mean that the 8 resignations would have to be submitted afresh, the Speaker indicated. He further said that the resignations sent in by Ramalinga Reddy, Gopalaiah, Anand Singh, Pratap Gowda and Narayan Gowda were in the prescribed format.

The Speaker has scheduled appointments with the five MLAs on July 12 and 15 to speak with them about their resignations. While the others would have to send in their resignations afresh as per the norms, the Speaker said that he was yet to receive the resignation letter from Roshan Baig, the 14th MLA.

Earlier, Kumar said that he would take a call on the resignations of the MLAs only once they meet him in person.

Let them seek an appointment and meet me. They will need to come personally and give me an explanation, following which I will take a call, the Speaker, Ramesh Kumar said.

The Speaker who said that he would look into the matter will take a call only after physically verifying that the MLAs had indeed resigned. He also said that he was prepared to take tough decisions.

He further said that there are certain rules and he would go by that. I have to be responsible. Certain things in law are implied and the office of the Speaker must behave responsibly. More-over there is no time frame mentioned here, Kumar also said.

He further explained that the clause clearly said that if the Speaker is convinced that the resignations are genuine and voluntary, it can be accepted.

The rebel MLAs who left Mumbai on Monday evening to Goa were taken to Pune and would reach the coastal state later today. The MLAs -- 10 of the Congress, two of the JD (S) and two Independents -- were to travel to Goa by road, accompanied by Mumbai BJP Yuva Morcha president Mohit Bhartiya, the sources said.

But, they were taken to Pune in Maharashtra from where they are likely to take a flight to Goa, they said. Maharashtra BJP legislator Prasad Lad earlier said the 14 MLAs left the luxury hotel in Mumbai where they were put up at 5 pm on Monday.

They are expected to stay at a resort in Goa, the sources said.

"They might come to Goa on Tuesday by a special flight. Arrangements have been made for their stay at a five- star hotel," a BJP leader from Goa said on condition of anonymity.