Karnataka Assembly speaker should take decision on resignation of MLAs at earliest: BJP

Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Pralhad Joshi Thursday said the Speaker of the Karnataka Assembly should take a decision on the resignation of the MLAs at the earliest and should not drag the ongoing constitutional crisis in the state.

Karnataka Assembly Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar has ruled out any immediate decision on the resignation of rebel MLAs in the crisis-hit ruling JD(S)-Congress coalition, saying he cannot be expected to work at "lightning speed".

The Supreme Court earlier in the day asked the Speaker to decide "forthwith" about the resignation of 10 rebel MLAs, allowing them to meet him at 6 pm. A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said the decision taken by the Speaker has to be intimated on Friday when the court takes up the plea by the rebel MLAs.

"... speaker should take the decision at the earliest since they (MLAs) have submitted their resignation in person. There should not be any reason to further drag the constitutional crisis in the state," he told reporters at the Parliament premises.

As suspense mounted on the Speaker's course of action after 10 dissident MLAs appeared before him following the court order and submitted their resignations afresh for acceptance, Kumar said the letters were in the "right format" but he will have to examine whether they are "voluntary and genuine".