Karnataka: All eyes set on apex court’s judgement tomorrow

The political fate of the 17 disqualified state Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs’) is set to be known tomorrow as the apex court is scheduled to pronounce its judgement over the subject.

The proposed ruling of the Supreme Court is crucial not to the Indian National Congress (INC) and Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) legislators alone but even to the BS Yediyurappa led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state.

It may be recalled here that KR Rameshkumar, then Speaker of the state Assembly had disqualified, in all 14 Congress and three Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) MLAs’ on 29 July last, just one day before the crucial trial of strength of BS Yediyurappa led BJP government.By such an action of the former Speaker, the total strength of the state Assembly was reduced from 225(224 elected and one nominated member) to 207.

Interestingly this is not the first time that the state is coming across such an instance. The same BS Yediyurappa led BJP government underwent a similar situation during 2010 when KG Bopaiah, then Speaker had disqualified 16 MLAs’ including 11 from the ruling BJP on 11 October that year.

The Speaker’s ruling had kept rolling despite HR Bhardwaj, then Governor directing the Speaker to maintain status quo till the trial of strength on 06 October. A political crisis pervaded as the 16 MLAs’ had withdrawn support to the BSY led government thus reducing it to a minority.

Thanks to the then Speaker’s controversial ruling which attracted rough weather among the ranks of opposition parties who raised hue and cry over the issue for a long period of time thereafter.
But in a twist of circumstances later the state high court upheld the Speaker’s ruling giving a jolt to the claims of the disqualified MLAs. However, the Supreme Court quashed the orders of the state high court as well as reprimanding the ruling of KG Bopaiah, Speaker.In the present case, all the disqualified legislators preferred to straightaway approach the apex court bypassing the state high court and interestingly the highest court of the country preferred to entertain their plea without directing them to go the state court first.

If the then 16 disqualified MLAs’ had become a thorn in the flesh of BSY led government now it’s altogether a paradoxical turn of events with for the BJP mass leader. It’s because of these 17 disqualified MLAs’, as openly admitted by the saffron party leader the present BJP government has come into being.

The state is headed for bye elections to 15 Assembly constituencies as an outcome of the ruling on disqualification. According to the same ruling, all the disqualified legislators have been barred from contesting to the state Assembly till the end of tenure of the present Assembly which literally means up to May 2023.

So for all practical purposes the political future of all 17 disqualified MLAs’ is hanging on a balance with none of them being sure of the outcome but for hoping and praying for the best.
Apart from pall of gloom over the court’s judgement all the disqualified MLAs’ are also undergoing an equally unpleasant situation on their individual political turf as well.
it’s no public secret that it was at the behest of all the bigwigs within the Bharatiya Janata Party that a crisis was engineered in the HD Kumaraswamy led JDS-Congress alliance government. The sudden resignations of 17 MLAs’ also thereby paved way for a BJP government to assume office.

Although all the top brass of the state BJP in public try to put a brave face distancing themselves with the 17 disqualified legislators, in party forums they are revealing the challenges before the party due to that issue.

In the event of a favourable judgement, all the disqualified legislators are on their toes to contest bye elections from the same home constituencies which they have been promised by the BJP.

On the other hand the ruling party is facing a peculiar rebellion crisis by the loyal party men in all these constituencies. They are averse to letting away party tickets to newcomers and campaign for the same opponents, against whom they have been waging a relentless political battle for decades together.

In some constituencies the BJP ticket aspirants have dared the party high command of entering electoral fray as independents in the event of being denied party tickets!

So either way it’s no safe viable path for the disqualified MLAs’ eagerly awaiting for the BJP tickets to contest the 05 December bye elections.

In order to continue in power the BJP needs to emerge victorious at least in eight constituencies. But the present political situation across the state and more so in most of the constituencies going to polls is not all that conducive for the ruling party as of now.

Thanks to the havoc created by the floodwaters and incessant rains the normal life has been thrown out of gear in 18 out of the total 30 districts. Tens of thousands of people have lost their dwellings, properties, cattle, fields and standing crops.

In spite of proactive approach of the chief minister much before a formal cabinet came into being the woes of the suffering public continue to loom at large and a sense of antagonism continues to prevail.
The ruling party is also at a loss for the way the Narendra Modi led NDA government responded at the lukewarm fashion in providing succour to the hapless citizens in distress.

As if these reasons alone weren’t enough the Congress is now in jubilant mood following the release of DK Shivakumar, former Congress minister and Man Friday of the All India Congress Committee (AICC).

Irrespective of the number of cases related to money laundering and property income with the disproportionate sources he is embroiled in and more than 50 days staying behind the bars in police lockup and Tihar jail, he was accorded a tumultuous welcome to the city.
He has once again reiterated pledge to “fight” for the Congress party and it needs to be seen how his fight will affect the ruling party in the ensuing bye elections.

-Manohar Yadavatti