CPM General Secretary Sitaram Yechury on Wednesday welcomed the decision of the Supreme Court to uphold the disqualification of 17 Karnataka MLAs but raised doubts over the permission granted to them to contest by-polls in the state.
Sitaram Yechury told ANI: "It is good that the Supreme Court has upheld these MLAs' disqualification. But the apex court has allowed them to contest the by-poll for which the reason has not been explained."
"Once you are disqualified, there is a certain period in which you cannot contest elections. That matter has obviously been raised," he added.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld the decision of former Karnataka Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar to disqualify 17 rebel Congress-JDS MLAs under the Anti-Defection law and said that they can contest the upcoming by-elections in the state.
The former Speaker had said in his order that the MLAs cannot contest the elections until the term of the current assembly ends in 2023.
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