Disqualified MLAs should be treated with respect, says V Somanna

Bengaluru: A day after senior party MLA Umesh Katti said that the disqualified MLAs will have to find their way, Minister V Somanna on Monday said disqualified MLAs have sacrificed for us and they should be treated with respect.

Addressing presspersons V Sommanna said that BJP leaders should value the sacrifice made by the disqualified MLAs and should be treated with respect.

“It’s not right to embarrass Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa by giving statements,” he added.

Even as the fate of the 17 disqualified Congress-JD(S) MLAs is yet to be decided by the Supreme Court over their eligibility to contest the bypolls in Karnataka, there is growing opposition within the state BJP against giving them tickets.

The saffron party, that came to power with the help of these MLAs, plans to field most of them in the by-polls on getting respite from the Apex Court, where they have challenged their disqualification.

The bypolls to 15 of the 17 seats represented by disqualified MLAs, which the Election Commission had decided to defer, has now been scheduled for December 5.

The counting will take place on December 9.