Karnataka floor test on Saturday, 4pm, Congress-JD(S) moves court again challenging appointment of pro-tem Speaker

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has to prove the majority in the Karnataka Assembly on Saturday at 4 pm, the Supreme Court said today. The BJP’s B.S. Yeddyurappa was sworn in as chief minister of Karnataka on Thursday after Governor Vajubhai Vala invited the party to form the government.

The apex court heard the petition filed by the Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) after the Governor invited the BJP to form the government and gave the party 15 days’ time to prove majority.

Abhishek Manu Singhvi, lawyer for the Congress-JD(S) alliance told the Supreme Court that they were ready for a floor test. The BJP’s request to the top court to allow them time till Monday was rejected by the Supreme Court.

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The Supreme Court directed that a pro-tem Speaker be appointed immediately. The pro-term speaker would conduct the floor test at 4 pm on Saturday 19 May to ascertain the majority. BJP leader KG Bopaiah was appointed as a pro-tem Speaker, leading to a fresh row. In a development around evening, Congress and JD(S) moved the Supreme Court challenging this, because the convention is to appoint the senior-most legislator, it was reported.

Earlier in the day, the apex court also asked the Director General of Police of Karnataka to ensure adequate security. Yeddyurappa was also asked to not take any policy decision till the floor test is completed.

While the BJP emerged as the single largest party by winning 104 seats, followed by the Congress with 78 seats and the JD(S) with 37 seats, and the Congress and the JD(S) formed a quick alliance and claimed to form the government together with 115 seats, the Governor called the BJP to form the government. This led the Congress to file a plea in the Supreme Court.

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Though the BJP has 105 seats including an Independent candidate, they are still short of seven MLAs required to reach 112 that is the necessary number for forming the government.

The Congress and JD(S) lawmakers spent Thursday in two different hotels in Bengaluru. Later, the lawmakers were moved to Hyderabad in a bus, a step taken to stop the BJP from luring them. Meanwhile, HD Kumaraswamy of JD(S) said that two of their MLAs have been hijacked by the BJP, though he was sure they would be back. After the Supreme Court’s verdict, the MLAs started their journey back to Bengaluru.