Karnataka crisis: Chaos at Assembly ahead of trust vote

BANGALORE - Restricted from entering the Karnataka Assembly, eleven BJP and five Independent MLAs, who were earlier disqualified by speaker K G Bopaiah under the anti-defection law, created a ruckus outside the Assembly on Monday.

The dissidents MLAs broke window panes of the Assembly and assaulted marshals to barge into the building.

The dissidents MLAs were on October 7 served with show-cause notices by the speaker, seeking a reason as to why they should not be disqualified under the anti-defection law, after they announced that they wanted to withdraw support to the Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa government.

Hours ahead of the trust vote scheduled to be held today, Bopaiah went ahead and disqualified the dissident MLAs.

In his order, Bopaiah said these MLAs have been disqualified under the provision of the anti-defection law as envisaged in the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution.

Those BJP MLAs who were disqualified are: Balachandra Jarkiholi, Belur Gopala Krishna, Anand Asnotikar, Dr Sarvabowma Bagali, V Nagaraju, Raje Kage, Y Sampangi, Nanjundaswamy, S K Bellubbi, H S Shankara Lingegowda and Shivanagouda Naik.

Former ministers Venkataramanappa, Shivaraj Tangadagi, Goolihatti Sekhar and M P Narendraswamy and independent MLAs have also been disqualified.

Despite the crisis, a confident Yeddyurappa said he would prove his majority in the House.

With this action, Bopaiah has brought down the strength in the 224-member Assembly to 208.

The ruling party strength reduces to 106 from 117 and the opposition Congress and JDS have a combined strength of 101 (Congress 73 and JDS 28). (ANI)