New Delhi, May 18 (PTI): The Supreme Court on Friday ordered that a floor test be held in the Karnataka Assembly at 4pm on Saturday to confirm whether newly appointed BJP Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa enjoys a 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.
The bench also asked the newly elected government not to take any major policy decision till it proves its majority in the House.
It also ordered authorities to ensure law and order outside the Karnataka Assembly.
The Supreme Court also turned down Yeddyurappa's request for a secret ballot during the floor test.
The apex court said the Pro tem speaker will hold the floor test in accordance with the law.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the Chief Minister sought reasonable time till Monday for the floor test but the bench ordered it for Saturday.
BJP leader B.S. Yeddyurappa placed before the Supreme Court letters he had sent to Governor Vajubhai Vala in which he had staked a claim to form the government in Karnataka.
Yeddyurappa, who was sworn in as the chief minister of Karnataka on Thursday, told a special bench comprising Justices A.K. Sikri, S.A. Bobde and Ashok Bhushan that being the single largest party the BJP had the “mandate of people” of the state.
Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Yeddyurappa, told the bench that there was no pre-poll alliance between the Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) and that they have formed an “unholy alliance” after the elections.
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The apex court is hearing a petition moved by the Congress-JDS alliance challenging the governor's decision to invite the BJP to form a government.
“The single largest party (BJP) is the mandate of people of Karnataka who have thown out the ruling party. The ruling party has much less members than us. There was no pre-poll alliance. It (Congress-JD(S)) is an unholy alliance,” Rohatgi said.
At the outset, the bench asked the Attorney General K.K. Venugopal, “Have you brought those letters (sent to the Governor by Yeddyurappa)?”
Venugopal told the bench that Yeddyurappa was being represented by Rohatgi, who placed the letters before the bench.
The bench directed Rohatgi to give the copies of the letters to the counsel appearing for the Congress-JD(S) alliance.
Rohatgi, while reading out the the May 16 letter sent by Yeddyurappa to the Governor, said the BJP leader had said in the letter that the party has emerged as the single largest party in the state and they were wiling to form the government.
He also referred to the May 16 letter written by Yeddyurappa and said that the BJP leader had requested the governor to invite the party to form the government and had also said that they would provide a “stable government” and they have the “support of others”.
In a pre-dawn hearing on Thursday, the Supreme Court had cleared the swearing in of Yeddyurappa as the Chief Minister of Karnataka.
A specially constituted three-judge bench, had after three-hour deliberations, made it clear that it was not interfering with the Governor's decision to invite the BJP to form a government in the state. The BJP with 104 seats has emerged as the single largest party in Karnataka.
The court had directed the Centre to place before it two letters sent by Yeddyurappa to the Governor in which he had staked a claim to form the government, saying their perusal was necessary to decide the case.
