Continuing to explore legal options before the Janata Dal (Secular)-Congress coalition seeks a trust vote on Wednesday, leaders of both the parties had a long discussion with the Speaker K.R. “Speaker has clarified that the members were bound to adhere to the rules of the Assembly and had to seek permission to remain absent,” Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Krishna Byre Gowda told press persons after an hour-long discussion with the Speaker. “However, the Speaker had said that he was not in a position to give clarification at the moment. He has suggested to both the parties to consult legal experts on this,” he said, adding that both the parties were inclined to issue whip at this stage. “A decision would be taken soon.”In a related development, Mr. Gowda confirmed that Congress has moved a petition to disqualify Independent member R. Shankar on Tuesday.

Source: The Hindu July 17, 2019 11:15 UTC