BENGALURU: Even as uncertainty over their political future continued, disqualified legislators have welcomed the apex court’s response to the Congress plea, on considering the video clip in which Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa had reportedly spoken about the BJP’s role in their resignation, as evidence.
“The Congress is trying to delay the process to jeopardize our political future, but the apex court has refused to accept it as evidence,” said disqualified MLA from Chikkaballapura, Dr K Sudhakar. The Karnataka Congress has approached the Supreme Court with the video clip, stating that Yediyurappa, in his speech at a party meeting, admitted that the BJP p resident and other leaders were in the know of all the developments related to rebel MLAs, including their stay in Mumbai.
The Congress requested the court to consider it as evidence and take it on record, before delivering its verdict on the disqualified MLAs’ petition challenging the Speaker’s order. Disqualified Congress legislator from Bengaluru ST Somashekar, too, termed it an attempt by the Congress to delay the process. “Since the nomination filing process starts on November 11, we hope the judgment will be delivered in the next two or three days,” he said.
The process of filing nominations for the December 5 bypolls for 15 assembly segments starts on November 11. “There is no uncertainty and we are hopeful of a favourable verdict,” Sudhakar said.The BJP, too, welcomed the SC stand. “We have nothing to do with the case or the decision taken by the disqualified MLAs.
The Congress had made similar allegations against our leaders during the hearing, and today again they have made the same allegations with a CD. The Supreme Court rejected their request to take it as evidence,” said BJP General Secretary and MLC N Ravi Kumar. Hitting out at Opposition Leader Siddaramaiah, the BJP leader said, “Siddaramaiah is a senior leader, who has presented 13 budgets, and should work like a mature Opposition leader.”