Bengaluru : The Election Commission has nothing to do with the disqualification of the rebel legislators, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Dinesh Gundu Rao said on Monday.

The Congress is determined to win the bypolls to all the 15 Assembly constituencies to exact revenge on the rebel MLAs.

“Our lawyers will argue before the Supreme Court that it was based on the Congress’ petition that the Speaker had disqualified the MLAs. Our lawyers will tell the court that the Speaker’s decision must be upheld.

“The anti-defection law means someone cannot misuse the party symbol on which he or she won,” Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Dinesh Gundu Rao told reporters.

Rao, along with Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Siddaramaiah and former deputy chief minister G Parameshwara, took stock of the party’s preparedness for the bypolls, on Monday.

The party will stage a protest in Belagavi on Tuesday against the state government’s handling of the flood situation.

Candidates for the bypolls are likely to be finalised after the protest.