Karnataka High Court to decide the fate of 5 suspended Independent MLAs

Mtoday news

Bangalore, Feb 14:  It’s a crucial day for the B S Yeddyurappa government as the Karnataka High Court will declare its verdict today on the validity of suspension of the five Independent MLAs after they withdrew support to the BJP government last year.

 

The five rebel MLAs alongwith eleven BJP MLAs were suspended by Speaker K G Bopaiah on October 5, 2010 citing the anti-defection law.

The decision of the High Court is crucial because if the five Independents win the case and their suspension is declared void, it could bring the BJP government to the brink yet again.

While the fate of the eleven BJP MLAs is in the hands of the Supreme Court, the five Independent MLAs, if their suspension is revoked by the court, will take the Assembly strength to 213 from the present 208.

In that event, the BJP will then need 107 MLAs to prove their majority in the House whereas Yeddyurappa currently has the support of 105 MLAs.

The five independent MLAs who challenged their disqualification in the court are P M Narendraswamy, Shivaraj S Thangadagi, Gulihatti D Shekhar, Venkataramanappa and D Sudhakar.