Bangalore, Oct 11 (IANS) Karnataka legislative assembly Speaker K.G. Bopaiah Monday disqualified 16 rebel legislators, including 11 of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and five independents, hours before the trust-vote.
‘Speaker has sent the disqualification letters to all the 16 rebel legislators individually informing them that they will not be allowed to vote in the confidence motion to be moved by Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa,’ an official of the legislative secretariat told IANS on phone.
The speaker’s action comes in the wake of the dissident lawmakers withdrawing support to the 29-month-old first BJP government in the southern state Oct 6, expressing lack of confidence in the leadership of Yeddyurappa.
The 11 disqualified BJP rebels are M.P. Renukacharya, Gopalakrishna Beluru, Anand Ansnotikar, Balachandra Jarkiholi, B.N. Sarvabhouma, Bharamgowda Kage, Y. Sampangi, G.N. Nanjundaswamy, M.V. Nagaraju, Shivan Gowda Nayak and H.S. Shankaralinge Gowda.
The five independents are Shivaraj S. Tangadagi, Venkataramanappa, P.M. Narayana Swamy, D. Sudhakar and Gulihatti Shekar.
Of the 16 disqualified rebels, eight, including three from the BJP and five independents, were ministers who were sacked recently for revolting against the leadership.
Bopaiah disqualified the rebels after serving show-cause notices to each of them Oct 8 and seeking their replies by Sunday 5 p.m.
The speaker took the dramatic action ignoring state governor H.R. Bhardwaj advise Sunday against disqualifying the rebel lawmakers.
