New Delhi: In a relief to Congress-JD(S) government and the rebel MLAs, the Supreme Court on Friday ordered status quo in the matter of resignation and disqualification of 10 MLAs and set the next date of hearing for July 16. Also Read - UPSC Prelims: Will Aspirants Get an Extra Attempt? Check Central Govt's Decision
Karnataka’s political turmoil entered a different phase on Thursday when the Assembly speaker appealed that he needs time to take a decision on the resignation of 16 Congress-D(S) MLAs. Also Read - 8 Dead in Dynamite Blast At Quarry in Karnataka's Shivamogga, CM Yediyurappa Orders High-level Probe
Speaker K.R. Ramesh Kumar, who met 13 rebel Congress MLAs on Thursday after the Supreme Court asked him to do so in the morning, made it clear that he was not rushing into accepting the resignations as he wanted to be “satisfied” which would require detailed scrutiny. Also Read - Sandalwood Drugs Case: Ragini Dwivedi Granted Bail by Supreme Court
“The legislators wrote their resignation in my office in the prescribed format and submitted to me personally. I will go through them and decide after I hear them personally,” Kumar said.
He added, “I am answerable to the Constitution of India and people of Karnataka. As per the Constitution, if I am satisfied, then the resignations will be accepted,” he said, making it clear that otherwise, he will not accept those.
“I will communicate to the Supreme Court on Friday that I have acted upon the matter as per the law and in compliance with its order issued earlier in the day,” Karnataka Assembly speaker added.
In the 225-member Assembly, including one nominated, the Congress has 79 MLAs, including Speaker, and JD-S has 37. Lone members of BSP and KPJP (a regional outfit) beside an Independent also were with the government, taking their tally to 118, five more than the required majority mark.
If the Speaker accepts all the 16 resignations, the Assembly’s effective strength will drop to 209 from 225 and the ruling coalition will be reduced to 100, when the halfway mark would be 105.
Besides the 16 MLAs of the Congress and the JD-S, the KPJP legislator and the Independent have also withdrawn their support to the government.
On the other hand, the BJP has 105 MLAs and is eyeing the government formation.
With IANS inputs