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Karnataka HIGHLIGHTS | SC to hear plea against Bopaiah's appointment as pro-tem Speaker

News Nation Bureau | Edited By : Nabanita Chakorborty | Updated on: 18 May 2018, 11:11:08 PM
Karnataka Election Results 2018 LIVE updates: SC to resume hearing on high-octane political drama (File Photo)

New Delhi:

The Supreme Court will hear on Saturday morning an application by the Congress and the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) challenging Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala's decision to appoint KG Bopaiah, a relatively junior MLA, as the pro-tem Speaker.

The battle for power in Karnataka is getting murkier. Although Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader BS Yeddyurappa on Thursday took oath as the 23rd chief minister of the southern, the Congress is unrelenting and leaving no stone unturned to thwart the BJP's attempt to rule the state.

The fact that there is no clear majority has led the Congress to reach out to the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) to form the government in Karnataka.

Amidst these high-octane political dramas, the Supreme Court on Friday pronounced verdict on Congress's petition, challenging Governor Vajubhai Vala's controversial invitation to Yeddyurappa to become the chief minister of Karnataka. 

The apex court directed a floor test in the Karnataka Assembly at 4 pm on Saturday to ascertain whether newly appointed Chief Minister Yeddyurappa enjoys the majority in the state.

"Let the House decide and the best course would be floor test," a three-judge bench headed by Justice A K Sikri said.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the chief minister, had sought reasonable time till Monday for the floor test but the bench, also comprising Justices S A Bobde and Ashok Bhushan, ordered it for Saturday.

The Congress-Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) combine had earlier termed Karnataka governor's invite to Yeddyurappa government 'an encounter of the constitution'.

Yeddyurappa's swearing-in ceremony took place hours after a three-judge bench of the apex court refused to block Vala's invitation to Yeddyurappa in an unprecedented overnight hearing on Thursday.

"As far as swearing-in is concerned, we are not restraining it, but we are making it subject to the outcome of the case," justices A K Sikri, S A Bobde and Ashok Bhushan, was quoted in the rare midnight hearing on Thursday.

Here are the HIGHLIGHTS on the high-octane political drama in Karnataka:

# 04:25 PM: Congress workers protest outside Karnataka Governor's Rajkot residence.

# 04:22 PM: KG Bopaiah was appointed as Pro Tem speaker even in 2008 by the then Governor. That time Bopaiah was 10 years younger than what he is today. Congress is thus raising hoax objection. The appointment of Bopaiah Ji is as per rules and regulations: Prakash Javadekar.

# 04:03 PM: What the BJP has done is against the rulebook. Ideally, the senior most leader is supposed to hold that position: Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Congress on BJP MLA KG Bopaiah being appointed as pro-tem speaker.

# 03:48 PM: Karnataka Governor appoints BJP MLA KG Bopaiah as pro-tem speaker ahead of floor test tomorrow

# 03:44 PM: BJP MLAs arrive at Raj Bhavan in Bengaluru to meet the Governor.

# 03:28 PM: BJP wanted that vote of confidence should be done via secret ballot. But, Supreme Court has written in its order that there shall be no secret ballot in proving vote of confidence tomorrow: Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Congress.

# 02:56 PM: Ahead of the tomorrow's floor test in Karnataka Assembly, all recently elected BJP MLAs to meet at the party office in Bengaluru, in the evening today

# 02:20 PM: Manipur Congress meets acting governor Jagdish Mukhi and staked claim to form the government in the state.

# 01:48 PM: Patna: Tejashwi Yadav and other alliance leaders met Bihar Governor Satyapal Malik, hand over letters stating that RJD is the single largest party and hence should be invited to form Government.

# 01:43 PM: RJD and other alliance parties-Congress and CPI(ML) hand over letters to Governor Satyapal Malik stating that RJD is the single largest party hence should be invited to form Government.

# 01:40 PM: Ghulam Nabi Azad accuses Centre of ‘abducting’ Congress MLA Anand Singh.

# 01:38 PM: Let us wait until 4 pm tomorrow. What is the outcome on the floor of the Karnataka Assembly? The Manipur Governor Jagdish Mukhi said that he will look into the matter. I hope he will do justice: Former Manipur CM Okram Ibobi Singh.

# 01:25 PM: Goa: 13 Congress MLAs at Raj Bhavan, hand over memorandum to Governor Mridula Sinha saying Congress is the single largest party in the state.

# 01:18 PM: BS Yeddyurappa who has 104 MLAs including himself, in the letter requested for 7 days, he had no other name, yet Governor invited him. It was unconstitutional, Governor even gave him 15 days time: Siddaramaiah on Karnataka Election Results 2018.

# 01:13 PM: We are going to prove our majority to the Governor. We stake claim to form the government. We have the support of many parties & MLAs of those parties are with us. Let's see what happens: Tejashwi Yadav, Rashtriya Janata Dal.

# 12:15 PM: Will discuss with Chief secretary and call for assembly session tomorrow. We are 100% confident that we will prove full majority: Karnataka CM BS Yeddyurappa on Supreme Court's order for a floor test.

# 12:01 PM: Supreme Court has also said that member of Anglo-Indian community cannot be nominated: Abhishek Manu Singhvi.

# 12:00 PM: 13 Congress MLAs reach Raj Bhavan to meet Goa Governor Mridula Sinha.

# 11:59 AM: Supreme Court also said that oath should be administered to all MLAs before the floor test tomorrow and BS Yeddyurappa cannot take any policy decisions until tomorrow: Abhishek Manu Singhvi.

# 11:58 AM: SC has delivered a historic verdict, many important directions have been given, one of them being that floor test has to be conducted at 4 pm tomorrow under a protem speaker: Congress lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi.

# 11:52 AM: We welcome the Supreme Court's order. We will prove majority on the floor of the House tomorrow, we are ready for floor test: Shobha Karandlaje, BJP.

# 11:46 AM: SC verdict has upheld constitutional morality and democracy. It is a judgement that should be celebrated. The faith of people in the wisdom of SC is vindicated once again. It's set back for a party that wanted to usurp power: Ashwani Kumar, Congress on SC directing floor test in Karnataka Assembly.

# 11:39 AM: Supreme Court directs for floor test in Karnataka Assembly at 4 pm tomorrow, after hearing Congress-JD(S) plea against Karnataka Governor inviting BJP to form the government.

# 11:31 AM: BJP's lawyer Mukul Rohatgi opposes the floor test tomorrow, says, 'need time.'

# 11:30 AM: Supreme Court stays Congress-JD(S)'s plea challenging Karnataka Governor's decision to nominate an Anglo-Indian MLA to the Assembly.

# 11:24 AM: Supreme Court observed that it can pass an order to make proper security arrangements for Congress-JD-S MLAs.

# 11:23 AM: Abhishek Manu Singhvi, sought proper security for Congress-JD(S) MLAs in case of floor test being conducted on Saturday.

# 11:16 AM: Lawyer for Congress-JD(S), Abhishek Manu Singhvi, submits to Supreme Court that Congress-JD(S) are ready for floor test on Saturday.

# 11:15 AM: Lawyer for Congress-JD(S), Abhishek Manu Singhvi argues, 'Yeddyurappa claimed support, but he does not have letters of support from these MLAs or it is only his oral submissions'.

# 11:05 AM: In Supreme Court, Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri said, 'floor test seems to be the best option'.

# 11:04 AM: SC observed that as BS Yeddyurappa has claimed support and BJP is the 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.

# 11:03 AM: Supreme Court says, 'It is just a number game, one who enjoys the majority should be invited to form the Govt'.

# 11:00 AM: BJP's lawyer Mukul Rohatgi told Court, 'We have certain information that many MLAs from other parties have not given any kind of written support to Congress-JD(S).

# 10:57 AM: Supreme Court wanted to know on what basis the Governor asks a party to provide a stable government. BJP's lawyer Mukul Rohatgi submitted that at this stage he does not want to say anything more.

# 10:55 AM: Appointment with Goa Governor at noon. We are going to tell her that since her counterpart in Karnataka has called the single largest party, she should also call us now. We are the single largest party, will prove majority on the floor of the House: Yatish Naik, Goa Congress spokesperson.

# 10:54 AM: All MLAs are intact, threats using various govt agencies are going on but we will fight it out. We were not allowed to take a charter flight last night: DK Shivakumar, Congress, in Hyderabad.

# 10:51 AM: Yeddyurappa has been elected as leader of the largest party, BJP and he has the support of the necessary number of MLAs and is ready to prove it on the floor of House: Mukul Rohatgi in the Supreme Court.

# 10:50 AM: Congress-JD(S) plea against Karnataka Governor inviting BJP to form govt: Supreme Court asks counsels for letters from BS Yeddyurappa, Mukul Rohatgi hands over two letters of the BJP leader's letters to SC.

# 10:49 AM: Crucial hearing on Congress-JD(S) petition challenging Karnataka Governor's invitation to BJP to form govt, begins in Supreme Court

# 10:46 AM:  Attorney General KK Venugopal, former Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi and former Law Minister Shanti Bhushan in the courtroom. Ram Jethmalani is also present. 

# 10:45 AM: MLA and former Deputy Chief Minister of the state R. Ashoka files intervention application in the matter challenging Governor's decision; Proceedings yet to commence. 

# 10:44 AM: Congress plea against Karnataka Governor inviting BJP to form the government: Kapil Sibal also present at Supreme Court to argue on behalf of the Congress party.

# 10:43 AM: MLAs who were staying at Bengaluru resort received threats, we wanted to take them to Kerala by air but permission was not granted, ultimately they had to travel by road. Is this democracy? No one trusts Constitution anymore, people have faith only in judiciary: Gulam Nabi Azad, Congress in Hyderabad.

# 10:38 AM: Certainly (BJP has the numbers), without that how can we form the government? It is their right no? They can take them anywhere, even to Pakistan: BJP's Sadananda Gowda on Congress MLAs being taken to Hyderabad.

# 10:32 AM: Karnataka Congress MLAs arrive at #Hyderabad's Taj Krishna Hotel, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) head Uttam Kumar Reddy also present.

# 10:15 AM: We'll show CM's letter to Court, it shows he has support & support will be shown in the house. There is no issue of horse-trading, it is the other way, as MLAs have been taken to resorts: BJP lawyer Mukul Rohatgi.

# 09:50 AM: Spoke to our former Prime Minister Shri HD Deve Gowda Ji and conveyed birthday wishes to him. I pray for his good health and long life, tweeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

# 09:48 AM: Congress MP from Karnataka, DK Suresh, says, 'They (MLAs) are coming to Hyderabad's Park Hyatt Hotel, we are arranging everything and waiting for them. Both JD-S, Congress will come in another two hours.

# 09:36 AM: Don't know where the MLAs are? They are misleading people for last 3-4 days. You will know how we will prove the majority and how many MLAs support the govt. We will respect SC's judgement, it'll have a bearing on the further development of political scenario in Karnataka: B Bommai, BJP

# 08:52 AM: Congress to observe ‘Save Democracy Day’ across the country to protest Karnataka Governor’s ‘collusion with the BJP’ and his ‘partisan’ action of inviting Bharatiya Janata Party leader BS Yeddyurappa to take oath as chief minister of Karnataka.

# 08:37 AM: I'm definite they (Karnataka JD(S) MLAs) are not coming by flight so I'm moving to Kurnool. Not sure about destination if they come here, they're welcome. I was expecting them yesterday but Civil Aviation Dept didn't give permission to charter flight: MT Thomas, Kerala JD(S) MLA and Minister.

# 08:07 AM: All the MLAs are with us. We are going to Hyderabad and then we’ll decide where to stay: JDS MLA CS Puttaraju.

# 07:52 AM: Former Manipur CM Okram Ibobi Singh and former Meghalaya CM Mukul Sangma have sought time from respective Governors of the state for a meeting on Friday.

# 07:30 AM: Meghalaya, Manipur, even Bihar and Goa on Thursday threatened to march till Raj Bhavan and stake claim to form the government. Read full story here.

# 07:00 AM: Congress MLAs left for Cochin, Hyderabad and Puducherry as the post-election chaos had gone out of control in Karnataka.

# 06:51 AM: Congress to meet Manipur governor to stake claim to form the government in the north-eastern state.

# 06:46 AM: HD Deve Gowda, former Prime Minister and JD(S) chief, visited Tirupati temple last night.

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First Published : 18 May 2018, 09:09:09 AM

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