The Karnataka Assembly Speaker, KG Bopaiah, on Friday slapped notices of 11 rebel Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs under provisions of the anti-defection law.
The notices to the MLAs, including state Excise minister MP Renukacharya, were served on the basis of a complaint filed by chief minister BS Yeddyurappa.
The 11 legislators have been asked to meet the Speaker before 5 pm of October 10 (Sunday) and tender an explanation.
The chief minister will face a vote of confidence in the floor of the House the next day (October 11) as per a directive by Governor HR Bhardwaj following withdrawal of rebel BJP MLAs and Independents to the government.
The BJP is taking help of the anti-defection law provisions to bring pressurize the rebel MLAs to change their opposition and continue supporting the government under Yeddyurappa.
Meanwhile, the power drama in Karnataka shifted stage to Goa as a veritable tug of war started on Friday between BJP and Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) after the rebel MLAs took shelter in a hotel here since Thursday night.
JD-S president HD Kumaraswamy is also in the Goa capital.
The BJP had accused the Congress and JD-S of plotting the latest political rebellion.
Kumaraswamy was heckled outside the hotel by BJP workers when he reached there.
Goa Leader of Opposition Manohar Parrikar also rushed into the hotel close to midnight along with supporters, breaking security barricades, to hold discussions with the Karnataka BJP legislators.
“I will be meeting them (dissidents). There are some issues which would be discussed and settled,” Parrikar said.
He said the BJP leaders would hold talks with dissident legislators here to defuse the crisis.
“They have some problems but those are nothing against the party. They are ready to talk to a few people,” Parrikar said.
He also asked why Kumaraswamy was here.”The Congress has been trying to woo them with all possible means,” the former Goa Chief Minister alleged.
Several Congress Ministers were also at the hotel even though the Congress had said the rebellion was an internal matter of the BJP.
“It’s like they have kidnapped our MLAs, they are not letting us talk to them,” said Janardhana Reddy, Yeddyurappa?s trusted aide at this juncture who is also in Panaji, said.
The events were happening at Taj Exotica Resort at Benaulim, which has turned into a fortress since Thursday night, with tight security around after 15 legislators, including nine from BJP, checked in.
The BJP’s strength in the Karnataka assembly was reduced to 104 from 123 after 19 lawmakers, 14 BJP MLAs and five Independents, submitted letters to Governor H R Bhardwaj withdrawing support to Yeddyurappa on Wednesday.