BENGALURU: The Janata Dal (S) suspended eight of its rebel legislators who voted against its official candidate and supported Congress in the biennial elections, to fill Rajya Sabha seats from Karnataka. Party leaders also issued a notice asking them why they should not be expelled from the party for defying the whip in the elections that saw party candidate and businessman BM Farooq secure 33 votes against the party strength of 40.
JD(S) national president and former prime minister HD Deve Gowda addressed a meeting of party legislators, panchayat members and office-bearers saying, "All the eight members have been suspended and notice have been issued to them." He said that as per the party constitution, a three-member inquiry committee would be set up, which after going through their replies to the notice, would decide on the expulsion.
The party leaders who faced action are Zameer Ahmed Khan, Chaluvaraya Swamy, Iqbal Ansari, Balakrishna, Ramesh Bandisiddegowda, Gopalaiah, Bheema Nayak and Akhanda Srinivas Murthy, who all had voted for Congress party's third candidate. Gowda vowed to build and strengthen the party by travelling across the state. He also accused CM Siddaramaiah, Energy Minister DK Shivakumar and BJP state president BS Yeddyurappa of conspiring against JD(S). "The agenda of this trio is to finish JD(S), but they will not succeed in it," he said.
JD(S) has been rocked by "dissidence" in recent months with several of its legislators unhappy with the leadership over its style of functioning and "unilateral" decisions by the Gowda family which maintains a stranglehold over the party. Congress with 122 members was assured of two seats, but with a surplus of 33 votes, the party fielded another candidate, banking on JD(S) rebels and Independents. The required strength for victory was 45 votes.
