<p class="title rtejustify">The Congress on Monday moved a petition before Legislative Assembly Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar seeking disqualification of four of its ‘rebel’ legislators under the Anti-defection Law.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">The party has sought the disqualification of former minister and Gokak MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi, Chincholi MLA Umesh Jadhav, Athani MLA Mahesh Kumatahalli and Bellary MLA B Nagendra for “anti-party activities” and repeated violation of whips. They are widely believed to be in touch with the BJP, leading to speculation that they will resign.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Dinesh Gundu Rao submitted the petition, which runs into nearly 100 pages, to Kumar at his chamber in Vidhana Soudha.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">The party has sought their disqualification “under the rules of the anti-defection law due to the continued absence in spite of repeated notices and issuing of whips,” Siddaramaiah said in a tweet.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">The Anti-defection Law is contained in the 10th Schedule of the Constitution introduced by the 52nd Amendment in 1985. A legislator is considered to have defected if one either voluntarily gives up the membership of one’s party or disobeys the directives of the party leadership on a vote. The Congress had warned the four MLAs of disqualification on grounds that their absence to the CLP meets will be considered as their decision to voluntarily quit the party’s membership.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">The decision to get these four MLAs disqualified was taken at a special CLP meeting held on February 8 - the day Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy presented the 2019-20 state budget. The party had issued a whip seeking compulsory attendance of all its MLAs. Not only did these four skip the February 8 CLP meet, but they also missed the one held on January 18.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">Jarkiholi, Jadhav, Kumatahalli and Nagendra had cited personal reasons for skipping the CLP meeting on February 8. The party, however, has built a case against them based on which it has sought their disqualification. </p>
<p class="title rtejustify">The Congress on Monday moved a petition before Legislative Assembly Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar seeking disqualification of four of its ‘rebel’ legislators under the Anti-defection Law.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">The party has sought the disqualification of former minister and Gokak MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi, Chincholi MLA Umesh Jadhav, Athani MLA Mahesh Kumatahalli and Bellary MLA B Nagendra for “anti-party activities” and repeated violation of whips. They are widely believed to be in touch with the BJP, leading to speculation that they will resign.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Dinesh Gundu Rao submitted the petition, which runs into nearly 100 pages, to Kumar at his chamber in Vidhana Soudha.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">The party has sought their disqualification “under the rules of the anti-defection law due to the continued absence in spite of repeated notices and issuing of whips,” Siddaramaiah said in a tweet.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">The Anti-defection Law is contained in the 10th Schedule of the Constitution introduced by the 52nd Amendment in 1985. A legislator is considered to have defected if one either voluntarily gives up the membership of one’s party or disobeys the directives of the party leadership on a vote. The Congress had warned the four MLAs of disqualification on grounds that their absence to the CLP meets will be considered as their decision to voluntarily quit the party’s membership.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">The decision to get these four MLAs disqualified was taken at a special CLP meeting held on February 8 - the day Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy presented the 2019-20 state budget. The party had issued a whip seeking compulsory attendance of all its MLAs. Not only did these four skip the February 8 CLP meet, but they also missed the one held on January 18.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">Jarkiholi, Jadhav, Kumatahalli and Nagendra had cited personal reasons for skipping the CLP meeting on February 8. The party, however, has built a case against them based on which it has sought their disqualification. </p>
