BS Yeddyurappa awaits court verdict on MLAs

The validity of suspension of the five Independent Karnataka legislators will be known on Monday when the Karnataka High Court pronounces its order on the writ petition by the MLAs who had challenged Assembly Speaker K G Bopaiah’s order disqualifying them under the Anti-Defection Law.

The order is crucial for the B SYeddyurappa government since if the court verdict revokes the suspension the government will be on the brink again and perhaps lead to another trust vote for the chief minister, already battling land scam slur and other problems.

The five MLAs besides 11 others from BJP were suspended in Oct last year before B S Yeddyurappa’s trust vote, which he had won.

While the MLAs had contended that they were independent legislators, BJP said they had joined their party and attended legislature party meetings.

Speaker K G Bopaiah hours before vote of confidence moved by Chief Minster BS Yeddyurappa to prove his majority in the House on Oct 11 last year had sacked the 16 MLAs- 11 of BJP and the five Independents.

State Governor H R Bhardwaj not satisfied with the process of voice vote method vote of confidence in the absence of 16 “rebel” lawmakers had asked Yeddyurappa to seek trust vote within 72 hours and the BJP ruled coalition won it by 106 against 100 votes.