17 disqualified Karnataka MLAs will join BJP tomorrow, says Deputy CM Ashwath Narayan

Merely hours after the Supreme Court allowed the 17 disqualified Karnataka MLAs to contest the by-polls, state Deputy Chief Minister CN Ashwath Narayan on Wednesday said they will join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday.

"All the 17 MLAs have already shown their interest to join the BJP. There is no confusion and no difference of opinion. They all will join the BJP on November 14 in the presence of Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa and state party president Nalin Kumar Kateel," Narayan told reporters here.

Earlier, the Deputy Chief Minister met party general secretary BL Santosh.

When asked whether the disqualified MLAs will contest the upcoming by-polls in Karnataka, Narayan said: "It is their faith in the BJP which made them join the party. Let them join the party first."

Earlier today, the Supreme Court upheld the decision of then Karnataka Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar to disqualify 17 rebel Congress-JDS MLAs under the Anti-Defection Law and allowed them to contest the upcoming by-elections in the state.

The decision of the Supreme Court has upset the JDS. Party leader and former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy alleged that "some political leaders are misusing our constitutional institutions for their personal gains."

The 14-month old Congress-JDS coalition government, led by Kumaraswamy fell in July this year following a series of resignations from MLAs paving way for the BJP which was the single largest party to form the government in Karnataka.