The Supreme Court on Wednesday announced its decision to upheld the disqualification of 17 Karnataka rebel MLAs whose revolt led to the collapse of the Janata Dal Secular-Congress coalition government and the subsequent takeover of the BS Yediyurappa-led BJP government.
A three-judge bench of Justices N V Ramana, Sanjiv Khanna and Krishna Murari, however, said the MLAs could contest the upcoming bye-elections on December 5.
Fourteen of the rebel MLAs of the Congress and three of the JDS were disqualified under the anti-defection law by the Karnataka Speaker in July this year.
