Our Correspondent / New Delhi
Midnight Judicial Trial since 1:45 am in Court No. 6: Three member bench of Supreme Cour is hearing Congress-JDS petition that challenged Yeduyurappa’s appointment as CM.
The petition challenging BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa’s swearing in as Karnataka Chief Minister is being heard in the top Court after the Congress, which has called the governor’s decision an “encounter of the Constitution”, filed an urgent petition in the Supreme Court shortly before midnight.
At about 1 a.m, Chief Justice Dipak Misra asked a three-judge bench of Justices AK Sikri, A Bobde and Ashok Bhushan to hear the case. The hearing began at an hour later.
This is the second time that the Supreme Court is holding an overnight hearing. The first was in July 2015 when the top court held a 90-minute hearing in the middle of the night to hear a last-minute petition against the execution of Yakub Memon for his role in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case.
2:26 AM: Cong was deprived to form govt in Goa despite being single largest party, SC had upheld govt formation by BJP: Congress leader and senior lawyer AM Singhvi to SC.
2:24 AM: Singhvi says BJP has 104 MLAs and Governor invited B S Yeddyurappa to form govt in “unconstitutional manner”; JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy with Congress has 116 MLAs.
2:19 AM: Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing BJP and B S Yeddyurappa, says no injunction can be issued to Governor.
2:11 AM: SC bench, comprising justices A K Sikri, S A Bobde and Ashok Bhushan, commences hearing on the matter. Attorney General K K Venugopal, ASG Maninder Singh in court for hearing.
1:13 AM: SC decides to hear Cong petition challenging K’taka governor’s decision to invite BJP for forming govt at 1:45 AM, says Congress leader and senior lawyer AM Singhvi.
10:30 PM: Cong seeks hearing in Supreme Court tonight on its petition against the Karnataka Governor’s decision: Singhvi.
Yesterday Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala has invited legislature party leader B S Yeddyurappa to form the government. The Governor also asked Mr Yeddyurappa to seek a vote of confidence within 15 days of assuming office as the chief minister in the floor of the house.
Briefing reporters in Bengaluru late evening, the party General secretary of BJP Muralidhar Rao said, BS Yeddyurappa got the official communication from the governor and he will take oath at 9:00 am tomorrow.
The BJP has won 104 seats in the elections in the 224-member House, emerged as the single largest party but fell short of complete majority.
The governor’s move will be a setback for the JD(S)-Congress alliance that has approached the governor with the signature of over 117 MLAs.