Court orders floor test in Karnataka today
Yeddyurappa’s plea for a week’s time to prove majority rejected
India’s Supreme Court yesterday ordered a floor test to be held at 4pm today to decide whether Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) BS Yeddyurappa, who was sworn in as Chief Minister of Karnataka, commands majority.
The court also rejected Yeddyurappa’s plea, made through senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi, for a week’s time to face the floor test.
The court order overturns an earlier, more generous time period from the state’s governor, who had given the party 15 days after the outcome was announced on Tuesday. That dramatically shortens the amount of time for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party to gather a majority of lawmakers on the floor of the state legislature, making it more likely the opposition could cobble together enough lawmakers to defeat the BJP.
The BJP won 104 seats in Karnataka’s 224-member legislature — more than any other party but eight short of the majority — according to the Election Commission of India. The Congress party, which had ruled the state of more than 61 million people for the last five years, won 78 seats and regional party Janata Dal (Secular) secured 37 seats.
Justice A.K. Sikri, who led the three-judge Bench, said “ultimately this is a number game and the proof of the pudding is in the floor test. We are not going by any political party. Whichever the party, the final decision will be taken on the floor of the House”.
Fearing bribes and threats to engineer defections, Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) combine moved its lawmakers out of Bengaluru on Thursday night.
Within hours of their arrival in the safe environs of Hyderabad, the Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) members of legislative assembly (MLAs) from Karnataka were busy packing for the return journey home, after the Supreme Court ordered Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa of the BJP to face a trial of strength in the House today.
The MLAs, allegedly facing inducements and threats from the BJP to switch the sides, reached Hyderabad by road in three luxury coaches after an almost 8-hour long overnight journey and were accommodated at two five-star hotels in Banjara Hills.
Their arrival in Hyderabad coincided with the Supreme Court passing a landmark order that Yediyurappa should face the floor test today at 4pm, drastically cutting down the two weeks time given by the governor Vajubhai Vala. In view of the three-judge bench of Supreme Court order, the session was convened at 11am.
After all the newly elected MLAs are administered oath of membership by the pro tem speaker the House is expected to take up the motion of confidence in Yediyurappa.
The leadership of both Congress and JD(S) — alleging the BJP was trying to induce their members to switch loyalties, while also threatening them — had decided Thursday evening to move them out of Karnataka.
However their destination was kept under the wraps.
Initially it was said that they would take three chartered aircraft to Kochi in Kerala. However D.K. Shiva Kumar alleged that the Civil aviation authorities did not grant permission for the special flights.
Later plans were revised and the legislators initially left by two luxury coaches of Sharma Travels to Hyderabad. Midway another bus of the same transport service joined the convoy and some of the legislators shifted to third bus.
Necessary supplies include water was also provided to the entourage in the way.
The organisers including Shiva Kumar were also aboard the buses and had alerted the local Congress and Janata Dal in Chikkaballapur and other places along the route to remain alert against any attempt to disrupt the journey.
There was tension on the buses until they crossed the Karnataka border one and a half hours after leaving Bengaluru and entered Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh. The convoy, after passing though the Kurnool and Mahbubnagar districts, finally reached Hyderabad in the morning.
Strategy meeting
Meanwhile, former Karnataka chief ministers H.D. Kumaraswamy and Siddaramaiah and other leaders of the Congress and the JD(S) held a crucial meeting yesterday evening to discuss the strategy to be adopted in the state Assembly today when the BJP government seeks a trust vote.
Janata Dal (Secular) leader Kumaraswamy, the Congress’ Siddaramaiah and top leaders of the two parties attended the meeting at the Taj Krishna hotel.
The two former chief ministers flew into Hyderabad hours after the MLAs arrived.
According to Congress sources, Siddaramaiah gave directions to the MLAs to ensure coordination to defeat the trust vote. The meeting was attended by 76 MLAs of the party.
Kumaraswamy, who has already staked claim to form the government with the support of the Congress, also held a meeting.