LIVE: Supreme Court orders floor test in Karnataka Assembly on Saturday

NEW DELHI: A three judges of the Supreme Court on Friday is hearing a petition filed by the Congress-JD(S) challenging Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala’s decision to invite BJP’s BS Yeddyurappa to form a government in Karnataka.

The senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi who is appearing on behalf of the newly appointed Chief Minister seeks more time till Monday for the floor test but the Supreme Court rejected AG’s argument and ordered it for tomorrow.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi took to Twitter and said “Today’s Supreme Court order, vindicates our stand that Governor Vala acted unconstitutionally. The BJP’s bluff that it will form the Govt., even without the numbers, has been called out by the court. Stopped legally, they will now try money & muscle, to steal the mandate.”

Supreme Court also said that member of Anglo-Indian community cannot be nominated.

Supreme Court also said that oath should be administered to all MLAs before the floor test tomorrow and newly appointed BJP Chief Minister cannot take any policy decisions until tomorrow.

The court test the floor test under a protem speaker “without any delay”.

The Congress has demanded SC that the entire proceedings  should be videographed so that MLAs able to vote fearlessly. The court admitted the request and said that it will direct the Karnataka DGP to ensure security and make proper arrangement for floor test.

Supreme Court directs floor test in Karnataka Assembly on Saturday.

BS Yeddyurappa opposes floor test tomorrow, Rohatgi seeks reasonable time.

Supreme Court, Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri said, ‘floor test seems to be the best option.’

SC observed that as BS Yeddyurappa has claimed support and BJP is single largest party, there could be two probabilities. whether Guv’s decision has to be tested or a floor test has to be held on Saturday.

The elections in Karnataka witnessed a lot of to-and-fro allegations filled with jibes between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi, but the real twist came in after the results threw a hung Assembly with the BJP emerging as the single largest party by winning 104 seats, followed by Congress (78) and the JD-(S), which won 37 seats.

Despite Congress and JD-(S) forming a quick alliance and being in a strong position to form the government with enough seats together (115), Vala on Wednesday went on invite the BJP to form the new government, which led to the Congress filing a plea in the Supreme Court, which led to a rare midnight hearing by the three-judge bench of justice A.K. Sikri, justice S.A. Bobde and justice Ashok Bhushan.

However, the court refused to stay the oath-taking ceremony, following which Yeddyurappa was sworn in as the 23rd chief minister of Karnataka on Thursday morning.

While the BJP has managed 105 MLAs (including one Independent seat), they are still short of the halfway mark of 112 by seven MLAs and have been given 15 days to prove their majority in the Karnataka assembly by the Supreme Court.

ANI inputs