SC to hear Karnataka Assembly Speaker's application on rebel MLAs resignations today

Supreme Court will take up the Karnataka Assembly Speaker's application with regard to its directives fixing time-frame for deciding on the rebel MLAs resignations today.  

Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar had moved the Supreme Court saying that the issue can not be decided during the course of a single day and sought modification of the order. 

The Karnataka legislative Assembly Speaker received the resignation letters re-submitted by 10 Congress and JD(S) MLAs yesterday. He said he will take a decision based on the genuineness of the letters and whether they were voluntary in nature. 

Addressing media persons after receiving the resignation letters, Speaker Ramesh Kumar said he will inform the Supreme court about the procedure he will follow and submit the video recording of yesterday’s proceedings to the court. 

Making specific mention of the anti-defection law, the Speaker said, many Governments were toppled because a few wanted to become ministers and this had to be prevented for



an era of clean politics. 

In another development, the Congress and Janata Dal(Secular) have issued whip to its MLAs to be present in the Legislative Session today and vote in favour of the Finance Bill. The notice says that those who absent themselves or vote against the Government will invite the provisions of the anti-defection law. 

Earlier, the ten rebel Karnataka MLAs, who were staying at a Mumbai hotel arrived in Bengaluru on directions of the Supreme Court yesterday. 

The Apex Court also directed the Speaker to decide on their resignation during the course of the day and intimate the court by today when it takes up the matter again. The MLAs had also moved the apex court alleging that the Karnataka Assembly Speaker was not accepting their resignations. 

Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy said he will not resign despite 18 MLAs withdrawing their support to his Government claiming his government has the adequate numbers.