Independent K'taka MLA R Shankar, 2 others disqualified by Speaker

Bengaluru: Karnataka Assembly speaker K R Ramesh Kumar on Thursday disqualified Independent MLA R Shankar two days after the fall of the H D Kumaraswamy government in the state.

Ramesh L Jarkiholi and Mahesh Kumathalli of the rebel Congress MLAs have also been disqualified under anti defection law of the 10th schedule.

Explaining the reasons the circumstances that formed the basis for his decision, Speaker said, "R Shankar, who had been elected to the Karnataka Assembly on a KPJP ticket, had requested that his party be merged with the Congress on June 14, 2019. Congress legislative party chief Siddaramaiah on the same day confirmed KPJP’s merger in a letter the Speaker. The Speaker suggested that the merger was complete on June 25, when he issued a written direction to considered R Shankar a Congress MLA and allot him a seat with the Congress MLAs."

Speaker said that independent MLA R Shankar came under the purview of the anti-defection law after he wrote to the governor pledging his unequivocal support to the BJP.

Speaker sent MLA Shankar a notice on July 17, a day after receiving a complaint against Shankar switching loyalties from Siddaramaiah. In response to the notice that obligated him to respond by July 23, Shankar sought four weeks time from the Speaker.

Karnataka Speaker was speaking to the press about the pending resignations from 15 MLAs and pleas from political parties to disqualify 17 MLAs.