Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (MS)

Bengaluru, Mar 13: The hearing of the disqualification petition submitted by the Congress on its rebel MLAs was postponed indefinitely by Speaker of the assembly K R Ramesh Kumar on Tuesday, March 12.

All the four rebels were summoned by the Speaker on Tuesday, including the Chincholi MLA Umesh Jadhav, who had resigned to his membership and joined BJP, to explain their cases. However, surprisingly, the Speaker postponed the hearing without citing any reason for the same. But Umesh Jadhav visited the office of the Speaker and submitted a written explanation which was demanded by the Speaker. Though Umesh has resigned, the Speaker has not yet accepted his resignation.

Umesh Jadhav said, "Speaker Ramesh Kumar is a honest and strict person. Nobody can take him for a ride." It is said that Umesh is the BJP candidate for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections from the constituency of Kalaburagi where he is expected to take on CLP leader in Parliament Mallikarjun Kharge. Umesh Jadhav firmly believes that his resignation will be accepted by the Speaker.

As per the opinions of legal experts, even if the resignation is not accepted by the Speaker, it will not hamper the chances of Umesh Jadhav contesting in the Lok Sabha elections. Former advocate general Ashok Harnahalli says that the Speakers cannot take long time on the resignations of any member. They are supposed to give a decision within a fair period of time. Now as Speaker Ramesh Kumar has neither rejected nor accepted the resignation, there is no harm for Umesh Jadhav to contest in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

"Denial of a person the opportunity to contest in an election citing the non-acceptance of his resignation amounts to violation of rights," says one prominent lawyer from the city. The lawyer also says that as Umesh Jadhav has met the Speaker in person and handed over his resignation in the correct format the Speaker cannot reject the same.