Disqualified K'taka MLAs to join BJP today: Yediyurappa

Hours after the Supreme Court on Wednesday paved the way for the disqualified Congress-Janata Dal(Secular) legislators in Karnataka to contest the December 5 assembly bypolls, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and Deputy Chief Minister Ashwathnarayan C N said they will be joining the Bharatiya Janata Party on November 14.

In a related development, the state BJP's core committee met here and discussed about the candidates for the bypolls to 15 of the 17 vacant seats but did not take any decision.

Speaking after the core committee meeting, Yediyurappa said the disqualified MLAs have expressed intention to join the party on Thursday and they would be given the membership.

Earlier, Ashwathnarayan said the disqualified MLAs will join the party on Thursday at 10.30 am in Bengaluru in the presence of Yediyurappa and BJP state President Nalin Kumar Kateel.

"They (disqualified legislators) have expressed interest to join BJP and have met our senior leaders. They have been welcomed to join the party," he told reporters in Delhi.

Some disqualified MLAs along with Ashwathnarayan met B L Santosh, BJP National General Secretary (Organisation), in New Delhi hours after the verdict.

Ashwathnarayan said party leaders and the disqualified legislators will meet Chief Minister and state president on Thursday and decide on the future course of action.

"There is no trouble or anything, they want to join the party and will be joining...bypolls and other things will come later," he said.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld the disqualification of 17 Congress-JD-S MLAs by the then Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar but allowed them to contest the December 5 bypolls in the state.

The court struck down the portion of the order of then Speaker by which the legislators were disqualified till the end of the 15th Karnataka Assembly in 2023.

Asked if they have been promised ticket for bypolls, Ashwathnarayan said they are joining with joy and full faith.

"They, our friends have no doubt. They are joining the party keeping good faith, when they don't have doubts, why you (media) have," he added.

Karnataka BJP General Secretary Arvind Limbavali said the core committee discussed about the candidates for the bypolls but no decision has been taken. A final call on it is likely by Thursday evening.

BJP sources said it is no secret that the disqualified MLAs -- most of them at least -- would be given the tickets to contest the polls.

Yediyurappa too had recently spoken about the plans to give tickets to them, if they intend to contest as BJP candidates.

Meanwhile, JD-S patriarch and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda commenting on the apex court judgment, said, "Yediyurappa and Siddaramaiah were ‘safe’ for remaining 3.5 years as Chief Minister and leader of opposition respectively", during which he will build the party strongly.