Supreme Court Ruling on Disqualification

Discuss the SC’s judgment on disqualification of 17 Karnataka MLAs.

1. 14 rebel MLAs of the Congress and 3 of the JDS were disqualified under the anti-defection law by the Speaker in July 2019. 
2. The Karnataka speaker disqualified them under anti defection law and also barred them from contesting polls again till 2023. The MLAs had then approached the SC against the speaker’s order.
3. The Supreme Court confirmed the disqualification of 17 Karnataka MLAs whose revolt triggered the collapse of the Janata Dal Secular-Congress government and the subsequent takeover by the BS Yediyurappa-led BJP. 
4. But the court has cancelled the Speaker's decision to bar the rebel MLAs from contesting polls till 2023. Court held that said the Speaker is "not empowered" to disqualify any member till the end of the term
5. There is a growing trend of the Speaker acting against the constitutional duty of being neutral. 
6. Further horse trading and corrupt practices associated with defection and change of loyalty for lure of office or wrong reasons have not abated. Thereby the citizens are denied stable governments