BENGALURU: To preempt its rebel MLAs from voting for the Congress candidate in the March 23 Rajya Sabha (RS) polls, JD(S) is taking legal action against seven legislators.
The party had filed complaint with the Assembly Speaker seeking action against N Chaluvaraya Swamy, Akhanda Srinivasamurthy, Zameer Ahamad Khan, HC Balakrishna, Ramesh Bandisiddegowda, Iqbal Ansari and Bheema Naik for violating the party whip during the RS polls in 2016.
“Seven MLAs had violated the whip by cross voting against JD(S) candidate BM Farooq,” former PM and JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda stated in a release. The complaint is filed with the Assembly Speaker. “No action has been taken against the members. We are forced to take the legal course of action before the High Court,” Gowda said.
According to a JD (S) leader, the party will approach the court seeking action against the seven MLAs under the Anti-Defection Law as the Speaker has not taken any action on the party’s complaint. If the JD (S) succeeds in preventing rebel MLAs from voting, its RS candidate BM Farooq may still have some hope and it would make things tough for the third candidate of Congress GS Chandrashekar.
The rebel MLAs are all set to join the Congress after the RS polls and the ruling party is banking on their votes to gets its third candidate elected to the RS. Congress can ensure victory of two of its candidates, and for the third candidate, the party needs support from the JD (S) rebels and independents.