Congress and JD(S) leaders Siddaramaiah and H.D. Kumaraswamy declared on the floor of the Assembly that they will not take back the rebel MLAs.
Mr. Kumaraswamy, concluding the debate on the motion of confidence on Tuesday evening, attacked the three JD(S) MLAs who rebelled against the party and resigned. He declared that the party had made a mistake in patronising these legislators and said that there was no question of taking them back ever.
Mr. Siddaramaiah, interjecting in the debate, announced that the Congress would also not have anything to do with the defectors, who had “backstabbed” the party. He said defection had become a disease ailing the democracy that needs to be rooted out.
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“Most who defected in 2008-09 won in 2013. The people have punished them. The BJP took back most of those who rebelled against the party and are seated here today,” he said.
Speaker K.R. Ramesh Kumar said though it may sound cruel both, Mr. Kumaraswamy and Mr. Siddaramaiah were to suffer this. “You patronised such leaders and made them legislators. You are reaping what you sowed. You thought they were parakeets and nurtured them, but they turned out to be eagles and bit you,” he said, referring to a popular Kannada film song.