Bengaluru: Karnataka Assembly Speaker Ramesh Kumar has disqualified 14 rebel MLAs. Earlier, he had disqualified three MLAs, bringing the total number of disqualified MLAs to 17.

13 Congress MLAs, 3 from the JD(S) and one Independent has been disqualified from the post of legislators. The strength of the House has fallen down to 207 from 224.

Congress MLAs Ramesh Jarkiholi, Pratap Gouda Patil, BC Patil, Shivaram Hebbar, ST Somashekhar, Byrathi Basavaraj, Anand Singh, Roshan Baig, Munirathna, Sudhakar, MTB Nagaraj, Mahesh Kumathalli, Shrimant Patil cease to be MLAs from today till the expiry of the term of this Assembly, the Speaker stated.

The disqualified JD(S) MLAs are AH Vishwanath, Narayana Gowda and Gopalaiah. The independent MLA to be disqualified is R Shankar, who formerly led the KPJP.

Earlier, Congress leaders Siddaramaiah and Dinesh Gundu Rao had filed petitions seeking disqualification of rebel MLAs. Among the rebels, Ramalinga Reddy withdrew his resignation on July 19 and thus has been saved from disqualification.

Karnataka MLAs, Ramesh Jarkiholi, Mahesh Kumathalli and R Shankar, who were disqualified on June 25 have decided to move Supreme Court tomorrow (July 29), challenging the Speaker's decision. 

Meanwhile, CM Yeddyurappa sounded confident about proving his majority on Monday (July 29)

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