EC delays polls to 15 K'taka seats till SC decides on disqualified MLAs

New Delhi: The Election Commission (EC) on Thursday informed the Supreme Court that it will defer the bypolls in 15 Karnataka assembly seats as the hearing of the petitions challenging the disqualification of the rebel lawmakers remains pending in court.

The bypolls were scheduled for October 21, with the results to be declared three days later.

The apex court will next hear the matter on October 22. Until then, the poll body has agreed to defer the elections for these seats.

These seats were vacated after the disqualification of the rebel Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) MLAs following their resignation from their respective parties.

The then Assembly Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar had disqualified the 17 MLAs — 13 belonging to the Congress, three from the JDS, and one Independent, which eventually led to the fall of the Congress-JD(S) coalition government headed by the then chief minister HD Kumaraswamy in July.

Kumaraswamy resigned as chief minister after losing the trust vote, paving the way for the installation of the BJP government with BS Yediyurappa taking over.

Last week, the Election Commission announced the by-elections, setting the date along with the state elections in Maharashtra and Haryana.