Will seek dismissal of Karnataka Govt After SC's decision on rebel MLAs: Congress

Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi on Wednesday said that the Supreme Court judgment on the disqualification of 17 MLAs in Karnataka has vindicated the stand of the former Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar and therefore, his party will seek dismissal of Yediyurappa government in Karnataka.

"A judgment has come today from the Supreme Court. Legally, it has vindicated the stand of the speaker. It has upheld disqualification order passed by him against the 17 MLAs. It has held resignation cannot be used as a subterfuge to avoid disqualification," Singhvi told reporters here.

He further said that constitutionally or politically, Congress would seek resignation of Yediyurappa government as it has no legal, moral or political right to stay in office.

"The BJP used every unethical mean to engineer these defections which led to these disqualifications. A large number of Congress and JDS MLAs were sought to be swayed by the BJP. There is a clear attempt by BJP to sabotage democratic norms and values," he added.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld the decision of the then Karnataka speaker Kumar to disqualify 17 rebel Congress-JD(S) MLAs under the anti-defection law and said that they can contest the upcoming by-elections in the state.

The elections for 15 out of 17 seats are slated to be held on December 5. The poll body had withheld the elections for two seats -- Maski and Rajarajeshwari.

After the MLAs' disqualification, the strength of the 224-member Assembly had come down to 207. This had brought down the majority mark to 104. The BJP, which helms the government in the state, has 106 MLAs in the Assembly.

With the by-poll elections, the majority mark will climb to 112 and the BJP will have to win a minimum of six out of fifteen seats to keep its majority.