Big blow for disqualified Karnataka MLAs: 15 seats to go to bye-elections on Oct 21
Big blow for disqualified Karnataka MLAs: 15 seats to go to bye-elections on Oct 21

Big blow for disqualified Karnataka MLAs: 15 seats to go to bye-elections on Oct 21

The bye-elections will also be crucial for the survival of the BS Yediyurappa government in Karnataka.

In what has come as a blow to 15 rebel MLAs, who were later disqualified by the former Karnataka Speaker, the Election Commission on Saturday announced bye-elections to the Assembly constituencies. The bye-elections are also crucial for the survival of the BS Yediyurappa-led BJP government, which needs to win at least six seats to stay in power.

The 15 seats will go to polls on October 21, just a month from now, while the votes will be counted on October 24. The last date for completing the elections is October 27. The last date for filing nominations for the by-elections is September 30.

These are the constituencies in which JD(S) and Congress leaders resigned from their position as MLAs triggering the collapse of the coalition government led by former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy in July. Significantly, the announcement of the bye-elections mean that the 15 disqualified MLAs will not be able to contest. 

Former Karnataka Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar disqualified as many as 17 rebel MLAs till the end of the current Assembly term running from 2018 to 2023, a day before the trust vote in the Karnataka Assembly which set the stage for the BJP to form the government in the state. 

The constituencies going to polls are Gokak, Athani, Ranebennur, Kagwad, Hirekerur, Yellapur, Yeshwanthpura, Vijayanagara, Shivajinagar, Hosakote, Hunsur, Krishnarajpet, Mahalakshmi Layout, KR Pura and Chikballapura. However, bye-polls to RR Nagar, the seat of former Congress MLA Munirathna, and Maski, constituency of former Congress MLA Pratapgouda Patil are yet to be announced by the Election Commission.  

The disqualified MLAs had approached the Supreme Court to quash their disqualification, however, Justice MM Shantanagoudar presiding over the case recused himself earlier this week citing that he is from Karnataka and that his conscience is not permitting him to hear the case. The rebel MLAs were hoping for a favourable verdict as they want to contest the by-elections. If the Supreme Court does not give them immediate relief, these former MLAs will not be able to contest elections.

The strength of the Karnataka Assembly will be 222 after the bye-polls. The BJP presently has the support of 106 MLAs including independent MLA H Nagesh. The party will need to win six out of the 15 seats to get to the majority mark in the Assembly.  

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