If No Vested Interest, Rebel Karnataka MLAs Should Vow Not to Contest Polls: JD(S) MLA

JD(S) MLA A T Ramaswamy on Monday challenged the rebel Karnataka legislators, who say they resigned voluntarily and have no ulterior motive, to announce that they will never contest an election again. He was speaking during the Assembly debate on Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy’s confidence motion.

The challenge

“If the MLAs who resigned say that they don’t have vested interest and greed for, let them declare they won’t contest elections in future,” Ramaswamy said.

The motion was moved on Friday amid a crisis caused by the resignation of 16 MLAs of the ruling coalition, 13 from the Congress and three from the JD(S). One of the Congress members has since taken back his resignation.

‘Zero traffic’ row

Ramaswamy also objected to the “zero traffic” arrangement he said had been made when the rebels arrived from Mumbai on July 10 and drove to the Vidhana Soudha to hand their resignations to Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar, before returning the same day. He asked Home Minister M B Patil how such special treatment could be given when the law had no provision for it, and the Speaker asked the minister to explain.

Patil denied that roads had been cleared for the rebels. He said they had only been given protection because the Governor had directed the police to provide adequate security, and added that they took 40 minutes to reach from HAL Airport. Unconvinced, Ramaswamy said the whole country had seen the arrangement and accused the minister of misleading the House.

What happened next

The Kumaraswamy-led coalition government fell in July 2019, and B. S. Yeddyurappa returned as Chief Minister of Karnataka.

See also: JD(S) | State assembly members

Originally published on 23 July 2019. Rewritten on 9 October 2026.

Share on Facebook

Tweet

Follow us