Thursday, March 23 2006 18:41 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Bangalore: Karnataka Legislative Assembly Speaker Krishna has ordered issue of notices to 39 rebel JDS MLAs, including Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, on a petition filed by three legislators, seeking their disqualification under the provisions of the Anti-Defection Laws.

Krishna announced in the house today (Mar 23 2006) that he has ordered issue of notices to 39 MLAs and would take a decision on the petition filed by G V Srirama Reddy (CPM), S Rajendran (RPI) and Vatal Nagaraj (Vatal Paksha).

"I have to function as a tribunal while deciding the issue", he said when Nagaraj sought to know the fate of their petition, which they filed on January 27, the day on which the Congress-JDS ministry headed by Dharam Singh collapsed in the wake of a political coup staged by Kumaraswamy.

JDS rebels led by Kumaraswamy later joined hands with BJP and formed the government.

The house plunged into chaos when Nagaraj and Dharam Singh raised the issue of disqualification and urged the Speaker to pronounce his decision.

Singh said the entire country has witnessed the political drama enacted by JDS rebels and alleged that the breakaway group had formed the government.

The house plunged into turmoil when JDS member P G R Sindhia remarked that the expelled JDS members have formed the government. JDS has only suspended the rebels and not expelled them so far.

JDS and BJP members protested against his remarks, but the former minister, who has distanced himself from the Kumaraswamy group, received the support of opposition parties.