New Delhi: The hearing of the plea filed by the 17 disqualified legislators, challenging former Karnataka Speaker Ramesh Kumar’s ban on their contesting in upcoming elections for six years, has been postponed by the apex court to Wednesday.

Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi, advocate for the disqualified MLAs, requested the three-judge bench led by Justice N V Ramana to allow his clients to contest the upcoming by-elections.

Advocate Kapil Sibal, arguing in favor of the former speaker, requested the court to uphold his client’s decision and not to impose a stay on the by-polls.

The Supreme Court, after hearing to both sides, decided to postpone the hearing to Wednesday.

Following this, it also issued notices to former speaker Ramesh Kumar, former chief ministers Siddaramaiah and H D Kumaraswamy and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Dinesh Gundu Rao.

The court has sought from the four, explanations to the petitions filed by the disqualified MLAs.

It can be noted that Rohatgi had argued before the court, that the former speaker had not given his clients sufficient time to clarify the reason for their mass resignation. He said that the former speaker had taken the decision in a hurry.

This postponement of the hearing is said to have sparked tensions among the disqualified legislators, as the by-elections in the state will be held on October 21, and the last date to file nominations is September 30.