S T Somashekar and Shivaram Hebbar send reply to party over violation of whip in RS polls in Karnataka

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.