It was a cinematic race against time. Rebel MLAs who flew down from Mumbai in a special flight just about managed to meet the 6 p.m. deadline set by the Supreme Court (SC) to appear before the Assembly Speaker. The city police, who on the directions of the SC were escorting the rebel brigade, gave them “zero traffic” clearance to help them dash to the Vidhana Soudha — quite literally — on Thursday evening. This led to traffic pile-up along the route during the evening peak hours.
B.C. Patil and Shivaram Hebbar, MLAs, entering the Speaker’s chamber at the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on Thursday.
Even then it was a photo finish. The MLAs reached the Vidhana Soudha at 6.05 p.m. and had to run through the corridors to make it in time. Byrathi Basavaraj, K.R. Puram Congress MLA, sprinted to make it to the Speaker’s chamber, and others followed. They were in the chamber for 50 minutes, where they tendered their resignations. The police escorted them back to the HAL Airport from where they flew back to Mumbai.
Following the unruly scenes at the Vidhana Soudha on Wednesday, and the SC’s direction to the city police to provide security to rebel MLAs when they appear before the Speaker, the nerve centre of the State’s administration had turned into a fortress on Thursday. While prohibitory orders were clamped on a two-kilometre radius around the Vidhana Soudha on Wednesday night, Neelmani N. Raju, DG&IGP, Karnataka State Police, herself led the security cover on Thursday. Six platoons of Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) were deployed and Bengaluru City Commissioner Alok Kumar was also part of the security detail.
The only time the order was disrupted was when a few BJP leaders held a protest on the third floor corridor demanding they be allowed into the Speaker’s chamber. Congress and JD(S) delegations had been meeting the Speaker over petitions seeking disqualification of rebel MLAs under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution for defection. A group of BJP leaders, led by M.P. Renukacharya, demanded to be let in as the coalition leaders were inside the chamber. The police told them that while the Congress and JD(S) leaders were meeting the Speaker over petitions, the BJP had no business with the Speaker.
How the day unfolded
10 a.m.: Speaker K.R. Ramesh Kumar criticises BJP, saying he fails to understand their urgency over the issue of resignations of rebel Congress and JD(S) MLAs. BJP launches an offensive against him, demanding his resignation.
10.30 a.m.: Congress leaders get into a huddle in Kumara Krupa Guest House. Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy joins the meeting.
11 a.m.: Mr. Kumaraswamy tells mediapersons that there is no question of his resignation.
11:10 a.m.: Supreme Court hears a petition filed by 10 rebel MLAs and directs them to appear before the Speaker at 6 p.m. The Speaker is to inform of his decision to the court on Friday.
12:10 p.m.: Rebel Congress MLA S.T. Somashekar, who returned to Bengaluru on Wednesday night to contest elections to Karnataka State Cooperative Housing Federation, says they were firm on resignation and will not meet any Congress leaders.
1:40 p.m.: Rebel MLAs leave for Bengaluru from Mumbai in a chartered flight. One of the MLAs, Byrathi Basavaraj, says the BJP is not behind their resignations and reiterates that their stand will not change.
2:15 p.m.: Mr. Ramesh Kumar approaches the Supreme Court over its order, arguing that the court cannot ask him to decide on the issue of resignation of legislators in a particular manner in a time frame. The Supreme Court clarifies that its order only directed the MLAs to appear before the Speaker.
5 p.m.: Congress Legislature Party and Janata Dal (S) Legislature Party issue whip to respective MLAs to attend the Assembly session starting on Friday. Whip is pasted on the doors of the rooms of rebel MLAs in the Legislators’ Home.
5.30 p.m.: Congress delegation petitions Mr. Ramesh Kumar, seeking disqualification of rebel MLAs of the party under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution on charge of defection. Earlier, the Congress had petitioned to disqualify two MLAs — Ramesh Jarkiholi and Mahesh Kumthalli. BJP leaders who try to enter the Speaker’s office are not let in, leading to protests.
6.05 p.m.: In a race against time, MLAs make it to the Speaker’s office just after 6 p.m. Eight MLAs, whose resignation letters the Speaker had said were not in order, re-tender their resignations. All 10 MLAs claim they resigned voluntarily.
7 p.m.: Mr. Ramesh Kumar addresses a press conference and rules out accepting resignations immediately. Says he needs time to scrutinise and get clarity on the resignation letters.
8 p.m.: Rebel MLAs reach HAL Airport and fly back to Mumbai in a chartered flight
