Karnataka Parties Await Supreme Court Judgment On Disqualified MLAs

The attention of political parties in Karnataka is focussed now on the Supreme Court, which is expected to deliver its judgment in the case of disqualified MLAs from the state. Seventeen MLAs, formerly of the Congress and the Janata Dal Secular, had withdrawn their support in July from the coalition government formed by their parties - leading to its collapse.

Before it fell, the then Speaker Ramesh Kumar disqualified 17 MLAs and said they could not contest elections until the end of the current assembly term in 2023.

The MLAs approached the Supreme Court for relief in this matter. If they are allowed to contest elections, and can become MLAs once again, then the BJP, which is in power in the state, could potentially reward them for their role in helping the party come to power with ministerial berths or other plum positions.