Several disqualified rebel Congress-JD(S) leaders moved the Supreme Court on Thursday challenging their disqualification as MLAs from the Karnataka Assembly.
While news agency PTI said it was 14 MLAs who moved the apex court, IANS reported nine MLAs sought the court's intervention.
Earlier, two rebel Congress leaders -- Ramesh L Jharkhiholi and Mahesh Kumathalli -- and an independent leader R Shanker, who were disqualified on July 25, moved the apex court on July 29.
Disqualified JD (S) MLAs -- A H Vishwanath, K Gopalaiah, Narayana Gowda -- have filed a joint petition challenging the July 28 decision of disqualification by KR Ramesh Kumar, who resigned on Monday as Speaker of the House.
The Congress MLAs who have approached the apex court are -- Prathap Gouda Patil, BC Patil, Shivaram Hebbar, ST Somashekar, Byrathi Basavaraj, Munirathna.
Others who were disqualified are -- Roshan Baig, Anand Singh, MTB Nagaraj, Dr Sudhakar, Sand Shrimant Patil (all Congress).
The MLAs had earlier moved the court seeking directions to the Speaker to accept their resignation from the Assembly. However, the top court has given free hand to the Speaker to decide on the MLAs' resignation as per the Constitution but said that the MLAs cannot be compelled to participate in the proceedings of the House.
(with inputs from PTI and IANS)