2 'rebel' BJP MLAs in Karnataka send reply to party over violation of whip in RS polls
Bengaluru: BJP 'rebel' MLAs S T Somashekar and Arabail Shivaram Hebbar on Thursday said they have sent their reply running into 170 pages, quoting judgements by various courts across the country in such cases, to the notice issued by the party for violating the whip in the recent Rajya Sabha polls.
Hebbar, MLA from Yellapur, did not turn up for the voting, citing health grounds, while Yeshwanthpur MLA Somashekar voted in favour of Congress in the name of ''conscience'', during the polls to four seats of Rajya Sabha from Karnataka on February 27, in an embarrassment to the BJP.
Both of them today together met Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress chief D K Shivakumar, but maintained that it was regarding water issues in their respective assembly segments.
''BJP has served notice, we have replied to it, we are waiting for action. We have replied to whatever they had asked. They have issued a one page notice, We have given 170 page replies. We have quoted similar developments throughout India, also quoting court judgements,'' Somashekar said.
Speaking to reporters, he said, the stand BJP had taken in Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and other states have been mentioned in the reply.
''I have pointed out differences in stands taken by the party in Karnataka and other states in my reply,'' he said, adding that he has no disgruntlement with state-level BJP leaders.
Somashekar also expressed his displeasure regarding BJP's Bangalore North candidate and Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje.
Noting that his assembly constituency comes under Bangalore North Lok Sabha segment, he said he had no differences with late D B Chandre Gowda and D V Sadanada Gowda who have been BJP MPs from the segment, ''but I myself have to fear to go to my constituency now, as I don't know when the now BJP candidate (Shobha Karadlaje), makes hate speeches or speaks against me.'' ''If things continue like this, a situation may arise for me to meet the police commissioner and seek protection,'' he added, asking ''whether she has come to become MP or to instigate things?''
Hebbar said he too has quoted various judgements of the courts in different parts of the country in his response, which may be a couple of pages less compared to Somashekar's reply. ''Notice issue is same for me and Somashekar, but the only difference is he cast the vote while I was absent.'' Asked whether he will work for BJP in the Lok Sabha polls, Hebbar said the candidate for his constituency (Uttara Kannada Lok Sabha) has not been declared by the party yet. ''Let's see, I will decide after it is announced.''
Somashekar and Hebbar were earlier in the Congress. They were among 17 Congress-JD(S) legislators, who had quit from their parties, which ultimately led to the collapse of the then H D Kumaraswamy-led coalition government in July 2019.
They had subsequently won the bypolls on BJP ticket and served as Ministers in the previous saffron party government.
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KKR land Green for record-breaking Rs 25.20 crore; Shaw, Sarfaraz go unsold
Abu Dhabi (PTI): Kolkata Knight Riders splurged a record-breaking Rs 25.20 to land top Australian all-rounder Cameron Green even as Indian stars Prithvi Shaw and Sarfaraz Khan went unsold in the Indian Premier League players' auction here on Tuesday.
Green surpassed compatriot Mitchell Starc (Rs 24.75 crore) to become the most expensive overseas player at an IPL auction. This was after Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings were involved in an intense bidding war for him before the latter emerged winner.
KKR also went after Venkatesh Iyer before pulling out of the race against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who fetched the services of the India all-rounder for Rs 7 crore.
As far as Green is concerned, his salary for the season would still be Rs 18 crore (USD 1.9 million) as the rest of the amount will go towards the BCCI's player development programme as per the rules of the auction for foreign players.
Green, who previously turned up for Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, has so far played 29 matches in the IPL to aggregate 707 runs and take 16 wickets.
Shaw, however, went unsold despite his fine run of form in the domestic circuit lately, and so was the case with Sarfaraz, who smashed a 22-ball 73 in a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match for Mumbai on Tuesday.
Big-hitting South African batter David Miller was bought by Delhi Capitals for his base price of Rs 2 crore, but New Zealand swashbuckler Devon Conway, whose base price was also Rs 2 crore, went unsold in the auction.
Seasoned South African opener Quinton de Kock returned to his old base Mumbai Indians for a base price of Rs 1 crore.
A total of 359 players -- 246 Indians and 113 overseas players -- are part of the mini auction pool with the 10 franchises bidding to fill up a maximum of 77 slots, including 31 reserved for foreign players.
