Kapil Sibal on disqualified MLAs contesting elections: 'It pays to defect'

A day after the Supreme Court upheld the disqualification of 17 rebel MLAs from Karnataka, adding that they can contest the upcoming by-polls in the state, Congress leader Kapil Sibal took to Twitter to express his views. On Thursday, taking to Twitter, Sibal said that though 17 disqualified held to be qualified to seek re-election despite their defection and if, when elected they will be protected by the law. He added that this will prove that defections pays.

His comment comes after the Supreme Court upheld the decision of the disqualification of the MLAs by the speaker. However, the apex court stroke down the period of disqualification. The judgement was rendered by a three-judge bench comprising Justices NV Ramana, Sanjiv Khanna, and Krishna Murari. The Supreme Court's verdict will have a bearing on the BS Yediyurappa government in Karnataka. In the 224-member House, BSY currently has the support of 106 MLAs. Bypolls to 15 of 17 vacant seats will be held on December 5. The BJP has to win at least six of the 15 seats to remain in power. With the Supreme Court's decision to allow the rebel MLAs to contest the polls, it is now to be seen whether the BJP will field them as its nominees.

READ: Disqualified Karnataka MLAs can contest December 5 bypolls: SC

READ: BIG: Supreme Court upholds disqualification of 17 Karnataka MLAs

Bypolls in Karnataka

A total of 15 Assembly constituencies in Karnataka are going to bypolls on December 5 and the counting of the votes has been scheduled for December 9.  The date for filing nominations for the bypolls to the 15 Assembly seats in Karnataka are from November 11-18. The elections to the 15 Assembly seats were earlier slated for October 21 but later postponed to December 5 by the Election Commission (EC) as the case pertaining to the disqualification of 17 MLAs was pending in the Supreme Court. The apex court reserved the judgment on their disqualification in October.

READ: Chronology of events in Karnataka MLAs disqualification case

Why were the MLAs disqualified?

In July this year, 14 MLAs from the Congress and 3 from the JDS quit the Assembly. As the 17 rebels stayed away from the Assembly, the Congress-JD-S government fell during a trust vote on July 23, as a result of which BJP government under Yediyurappa was formed on July 26. However, on July 25 and 28, then-Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar issued two orders under the anti-defection law, disqualifying the 17 MLAs from the House and barring them from contesting elections during the tenure of the current Assembly. The MLAs then moved the top Court asking that the Speaker’s orders be quashed. The Congress and JD-S too approached the court.

READ: I'm no dictator: Fmr Karnataka Speaker KR Ramesh responds to SC verdict