Will approach SC against disqualification: Rebel JD(S) MLA

Rebel JD(S) MLA A H Vishwanath, who was disqualified by the Karnataka Speaker on Sunday, said the decision was "against the law" and he and other aggrieved legislators would approach the Supreme Court for redressal on Monday.

Karnataka Assembly Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar on Sunday disqualified 14 more rebel MLAs -- 11 from the Congress and three from the JD(S) -- under the anti-defection law till the end of the current term of the House in 2023.

Kumar had disqualified three Congress rebel MLAs on Thursday.

"The disqualification is against the law...just under a whip served on them, you cannot force the legislators to come to the House," Vishwanath told PTI over phone.

"The speaker has disqualified 20 members of the legislature on the grounds that they have not attended the House...so against this decision pronounced by the Speaker, we are approaching the Supreme Court on Monday," the MLA said from an undisclosed location.

The disqualifications came a day ahead of Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa seeking the trust vote in the assembly to prove his majority.

In Bengaluru, another disqualified rebel MLA from Maski, Pratap Gowda Patil, asked the voters in a video message not to panic and said they were confident of emerging victorious in the Supreme Court.

"Dear voters and my well wishers, Speaker has orderedmy disqualification from the assembly... there is no need to panic, we are challenging this in the Supreme Court.

I'mconfident that we will be victorious in the court," Patil said