The Karnataka High Court has upheld the order by the Karnataka Legislative Assembly Speaker K G Boppaiah to disqualify five Independent MLAs under Anti Defection Law. Justices A S Bopanna, Mohan Shantanagoudar and S Abdul Nazeer have unanimously ruled in favour of Speaker and dismissed the petition filed by the Independent MLAs. The ruling states that the impugned order passed by the Speaker is not in violation of constitutional mandate. Refuting the argument submitted by the Petitioners, the Bench ruled that voters have the right to file petition against their MLAs for defection. The Independent MLAs had filed a petition in the High Court when the Speaker disqualified them under anti defection law for submitting letter of withdrawal of support to the BJP Government in the state and violating the whip issued to them.