The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to stay the Karnataka high court order disqualifying five Independent MLAs withdrawing the support to the Yeddyurappa government and their plea for allowing to cast their votes in the Rajya Sabha election on March 4 and keep the same in the “sealed cover” till final decision by the top court on the disqualification issue.
However, a bench of Justices Altamas Kabir and Cyriac Joseph issued notices to the Karnataka government, the Vidhan Sabha secretariat and chief whip of the state Assembly on two sets of petitions filed by the five disqualified MLAs.
The special leave petitions were moved by them in the name of D. Sudhakar Rao and Shivraj S. Thangadgi, two of the five MLAs, who were disqualified by the Assembly Speaker and his decision upheld by “full bench” of the HC on February 14. While the disqualified MLAs’ counsel K.K. Venugopal and P.P. Rao made strong plea for allowing their client to cast their votes in the RS election subject to the condition that they be kept in “sealed cover” and counted only if the top court decision when in their favour and the margin of victory in the March 4 election to lone seat of the Upper House from the state was less than five.
“If the margin of victory is more than five, then we are out of consideration in Rajya Sabha election,” Venugopal said adding “their votes will become eligible for counting only if the apex court verdict went in their favour.”
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Hema RS return seems imminent
age correspondent
bengaluru
March 1: Ms Hema Malini’s return to the Rajya Sabha seems imminent well before polling in the byelection scheduled for Thursday with the actress sitting pretty in the contest against Opposition-supported Independent K. Marulasiddappa. On a day when ruling and Opposition parties issued whips to their MLAs in order to prevent cross-voting, the top court crushed the hopes of five disqualified Independent legislators by turning down their request.