Hours after the Supreme Court verdict paved the way for the disqualified MLAs to contest the bypolls, the BJP announced that all the 17 will join the party on Thursday morning in the city. Most of them are expected to contest the byelections on BJP ticket, sources confirmed.
Shortly after theverdict, the disqualified MLAs who were in New Delhi, met B.L. Santhosh, national general secretary (Organisation) of BJP, and expressed their intent to join the party.
Soon, the State unit of the party held its core committee meeting in the city and resolved to welcome all the MLAs. Deputy Chief Minister C.N. Ashwath Narayan announced that all would join the BJP at 10.30 a.m. on Thursday at the BJP State head office.
Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa welcomed the Supreme Court verdict, terming it “a defeat of the conspiracy of former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and former Assembly Speaker K.R. Ramesh Kumar”.
He expressed confidence about the party winning at least 12 of the 15 seats going to the polls on December 5. The BJP high command is likely to announce the list of candidates for most of the constituencies by Thursday evening.
Meanwhile, the Congress claimed that the apex court order was a “moral victory” considering that disqualification was upheld by the top court. KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao said the verdict proved “the hand of BJP in toppling the coalition government”.
He said, “If the BJP has any morality left, they should not give ticket to the disqualified MLAs to contest.”