New Delhi:  Former Karnataka Speaker’s order disqualifying 17 MLAs cannot deprive them of right to contest by-polls in Karnataka, Election Commission of India (EC) told Supreme Court this morning.

The Court was hearing a plea filed by disqualified MLAs of the Assembly. The hearing has now been adjourned to Sept.25 (Wednesday).

 A three-Judge Bench, headed by Justice N.V. Ramana, which took up the petitions of disqualified MLAs, heard the arguments of Mukul Rohatgi, the Counsel for the disqualified Legislators and Kapil Sibal, who argued for the then Speaker K.R. Ramesh Kumar. The disqualified MLAs have sought interim relief to contest the by-elections.

Mukul Rohatgi told the Bench that as per disqualification orders, these persons cannot contest elections for the remaining period of this Assembly which will end in 2023. Meanwhile, the Counsel, representing Election Commission, told the Bench that by-polls for 15 vacant Assembly seats have been notified and the Court should not stay the elections.

Ahead of the July 23 Trust Vote moved by the H.D. Kumaraswamy-led Coalition Government, Ramesh Kumar had disqualified 17 Legislators — 14 from Congress and three from JD(S) — who had quit their seats, from contesting the by-polls during the tenure of the current Assembly.