The Supreme Court on Friday will hold a hearing in the Karnataka government formation matter at 10.30 am, after it issued notices to the Karnataka government and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and chief minister B S Yeddyurappa seeking their replies on the plea filed by the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) combine, which has opposed Yeddyurappa's swearing-in and termed Governor Vajubhai Vala's decision to invite the BJP to form the government as "unconstitutional". The Congress, for its part, will observe 'Save Democracy Day' today across the country, protesting the developments in the southern state. Meanwhile, the BJP is busy wooing Congress and JD(S) MLAs.
The Supreme Court has directed the Centre to place before it two communications sent by Yeddyurappa to Governor Vala in which he had staked claim to form the government, saying their perusal was necessary to decide the case. Among these communications to be furnished in court will be the letter of support from newly-elected legislators that Yeddyurappa submitted to the Governor. The Congress has argued that the letter submitted by Yeddyurappa has only 104 signatures, which is clearly short of the majority mark of 112-seats in the 222-member Assembly. The Congress-JD(S) had submitted a letter with 117 signatures.
A quick recap of the Karnataka Assembly election 2018 aftermath:
On Thursday, Governor Vala administered the oath of office and secrecy to Yeddyurappa at the Raj Bhavan in a morning ceremony. Vala has told Yeddyurappa to prove within 15 days that he has the majority in the Legislative Assembly. Although the BJP emerged as the single-largest party, winning 104 seats, in the May 12 assembly election, it fell short of eight seats from the 112-halfway mark in the lower House. The Congress trailed behind the saffron party with 78 seats and the regional JD(S) with 37 seats.
At a special pre-dawn hearing, a three-judge Bench of the apex court had rejected a joint writ petition, filed by the Congress and the JD(S) on Wednesday night, to halt the swearing-in of Yeddyurappa as Karnataka chief minister. However, the top court said Yeddyurappa's swearing-in was subject to the final outcome of the matter before it.
Here are the top ten developments in around the BJP versus Congress-JD(S) tussle over government formation in Karnataka:
1) SC Bench to hear Karnataka matter today: The Supreme Court Bench, comprising judges A K Sikri, S A Bobde, and Ashok Bhushan, will hear the Karnataka matter again on Friday and has asked the BJP to furnish in court the letter of support from newly-elected legislators that Yeddyurappa submitted to the Governor when he staked claim to form the government. The hearing will start at 10.30 am.
During the intervening night between Wednesday and Thursday, the specially constituted three-judge Bench, after more than three hours of hearing, had made it clear that it was not interfering with the Governor's decision to invite the saffron party to form the government in Karnataka. During the high-voltage hearing, which lasted from 2.11 am to 5.28 am, the top court made it clear that the swearing-in and government formation would be subject to the final outcome of the case.
2) Congress, JD(S) MLAs shifted to Hyderabad: The Congress on Thursday said that its MLAs, lodged at Eagleton Resort in Bengaluru, will be shifted in order to avoid alleged horse-trading attempts by the BJP. Congress leader Ramalinga Reddy further said that JD(S) MLAs are not coming along with them. "We will be shifted today. We will tell you more later. JD(S) MLAs are not coming along. The place has not been decided yet," Reddy told the media.
According to News18, Congress MLAs on Friday reached the Park Hyatt hotel in Hyderabad. The report added that JD(S) MLAs would reach the hotel soon.
#BREAKING -- Congress MLAs reach Park Hyatt hotel in Hyderabad. JD(S) MLAs to reach soon | CNN-News18's @tweetsakshi with more details #KarnatakaResortPolitics pic.twitter.com/LAEIjzCrKN
— News18 (@CNNnews18) May 18, 2018
The Congress on Friday will observe 'Save Democracy Day' across the country in protest against Karnataka Governor Vala's decision to "illegally" invite BJP's Yeddyurappa to form the government in the state. On Thursday, Congress communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala accused the Karnataka Governor of colluding with the BJP and playing a "partisan" role in government formation in the state after the May 12 polls threw a split verdict.
Surjewala also accused Vala of "murdering" democracy and "trampling" the Constitution by inviting Yeddyurappa. "The Congress has decided that its workers and leaders will observe a 'Save Democracy Day' across the country on May 18 to highlight the Governor's trampling of the Constitution," he told reporters.
In a letter to party general secretaries, state unit presidents, and chiefs of frontal organisations, All India Congress Committee General Secretary Ashok Gehlot asked them to organise protests and dharnas at all state capitals and district headquarters against the 'partisan' role of the Governor. He also asked the party's state unit presidents and all senior leaders to lead a delegation to their respective governors and submit a memorandum urging the President "to safeguard the democratic principles and the sanctity of the Constitution".
Our detailed copy on the Karnataka election aftermath: Karnataka fallout: Congress MLAs shifted by bus to Kerala resort; updates
The BJP, for its part, is alert to the possibility that the Supreme Court could ask it to prove its majority on the floor of the Karnataka Assembly before schedule. With this in mind, the BJP on Thursday made efforts to woo Congress and JD(S) MLAs.
Mindful of the BJP's attempts, the Congress has taken its legislators to separate resorts to ensure that the saffron party couldn’t reach out to them. However, Congress sources conceded that two of the party’s legislators may have already defected. Congress said its legislator Anand Singh was being threatened by central probe agencies. Congress leader Ramalinga Reddy alleged that the security personnel were asked to leave by the state administration and BJP workers came in and started offering money to party legislators.
5) What options is BJP looking at? BJP Lok Sabha member Shobha Karandlaje tweeted that her party was in contact with Congress legislators who were upset with the party leadership for aligning with the JD(S).
6) BJP also preparing itself for future if it loses floor test: The BJP, as reported earlier by Business Standard, has also prepared for the eventuality of losing the floor test. Therefore, with an eye on the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the first decision of newly-appointed Chief Minister Yeddyurappa was to reach out to the farmers of Karnataka. He has announced that all farm loans of up to Rs 100,000 would be written off.
Janata Dal (Secular) leader H D Kumaraswamy, the kingmaker who was a hair's breadth away from being king, on Thursday said his party MLAs, along with those from the Congress, will "stay united at (the) same place" in order to prevent "horse-trading" ahead of the trust vote in the Karnataka Assembly.
"There is no question of fearing, but we have to take some cautions because of previous experiences. We wanted to take special care to represent their (Congress and JD(S) MLAs) living. We are not encouraging horse-trading. To stop it, they are living together," Kumaraswamy told the media. Accusing the BJP of misusing its power, Kumaraswamy said that several MLAs have been contacted by the BJP. "They are misusing the power. They are masters in misusing all constitutional institutions. All MLAs of JD(S) and Congress will stay united at same place," he added.
Kumaraswamy also said that he is not worried about the apex court's decision on the matter as they will show their strength in the Assembly. "We are not bothered about the Supreme Court judgement tomorrow. We have to show our strength only on the floor of House. We are taking care (of MLAs) for that," he said.
8) H D Deve Gowda, Rahul discuss Karnataka issue: JD(S) national president H D Deve Gowda on Thursday had a telephonic conversation with Congress president Rahul Gandhi to discuss the current political situation in Karnataka. Last night, former prime minister Gowda visited the Tirupati temple in Andhra Pradesh.
HD Deve Gowda, former Prime Minister and JD(S) chief, visited Tirupati temple last night #AndhraPradesh pic.twitter.com/zUGgQCnVbb
— ANI (@ANI) May 18, 2018
Against the backdrop of the developments in Karnataka, Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said that the Constitution is under "severe attack", adding that the judiciary and the press were facing a situation more likely to be seen in Pakistan, or under a dictatorship, or some African countries ruled by generals.
"The Constitution is under severe attack in the country... In Karnataka, the MLAs are on one side and the Governor on the other and you know what attempt is being made," Gandhi said. "The JD(S) leader has said its MLAs were offered Rs 100 crore," the Congress president said, referring to Kumaraswamy's allegations.
Addressing a 'Jan Swaraj Sammelan' in Raipur, Gandhi said that his party had ruled the country for several years but never tried to capture democratic institutions. "There is fear in the judiciary, there is fear in the press, and even the BJP's members of Parliament are scared as they cannot speak a single word before the prime minister (Narendra Modi)," he said.
He said that in the past 70 years, it was generally seen that people approach the judiciary to seek justice. "But for the first time, it was seen that four judges of the Supreme Court came out to seek public support saying they were not allowed to perform their duties... It was seen for the first time in the country. It definitely happens under a dictatorship, it happens in Pakistan, it happens in different African countries, (where) a general comes and suppresses court and press, but in India, it has happened for the first time in last 70 years."
10) Congress seeks Karnataka Governor's recall: The Congress referred to a 2011 tweet of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking the recall of the then Karnataka Governor and said, "We agree".
"Governor of Karnataka is bent upon destroying India's federal structure, urged PM to request President to recall him," Modi, who was then the Gujarat chief minister, had tweeted on May 19, 2011, against the then governor, H R Bhardwaj, alleging that he was "harassing" the BJP-led state government and "acting in a partisan manner".
We agree! pic.twitter.com/ypC6JKXOU8
— Congress (@INCIndia) May 17, 2018
With agency inputs