Show-cause notice issued to rebel JD(S) MLAs

Deve Gowda asks why they should not be expelled for anti-party activities

High-pitched:Janata Dal (Secular) national president H.D. Deve Gowda and party leader Y.S.V. Datta appealing for calm after party supporters began demanding that the rebel leaders be expelled, at a party convention at the Palace Grounds in Bengaluru on Sunday.— Photo: Sudhakara Jain

The Janata Dal (Secular), which suffered a setback in elections to the Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council, on Sunday suspended eight rebel legislators responsible for the defeat of the party’s candidates.

The party is contemplating to write to Legislative Assembly Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa to disqualify the eight MLAs — B.Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan (Chamarajpet), N. Cheluvarayaswamy (Nagamangala), Akhanda Srinivasamurthy (Pulakeshinagar), Iqbal Ansari (Gangavathi), H.C. Balakrishna (Magadi), K. Gopalaiah (Mahahalakshmi Layout), Ramesh Bandisidde Gowda (Srirangapatna), and L.B.P. Bheema Naik (Hagaribommanahalli), who supported the Congress in the elections by violating the party directive.

JD(S) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda issued show-cause notice to rebel MLAs asking them as to why they should not be expelled for anti-party activities in the next 15 days.

Committee to be formed

The party has decided to form a committee to probe into the ‘anti-party’ activities of the rebel legislators. Based on the committee’s report, the party would write to the Speaker to disqualify their membership, said deputy leader in the Assembly Y.S.V. Datta. He tabled a resolution on initiating action against the eight rebel legislators, and MLA B.B. Ningaiah seconded it, at a convention of party leaders and workers held here on Sunday.

Agitated workers, along with Mahalakshmi Layout MLA K. Gopalaiah and his wife and Deputy Mayor Hemalatha, raised slogans against the rebel MLAs and tore banners and posters.

The party’s State president H.D. Kumaraswamy did not attend the meeting. In his absence, a four-paged letter addressed to party workers was read out by Mr. Datta. Mr. Deve Gowda lashed out at the Congress leaders for allegedly encouraging JD(S) legislators to violate the party directive. “The absence of legislators such as Zamer Khan and Iqbal Ansari will not make any impact on the party as B.M. Farooq will fill their space,” he said.

Mr. Gowda vowed to humble all rebel MLAs in their home turf in the 2018 elections.

Workers protest

Mandya staff correspondent reports:

Members of the District Youth JD(S) staged a demonstration at Sri Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar Circle of the Bengaluru-Mysuru highway here on Sunday to protest against the cross-voting by the rebel MLAs.