In a new twist to the Karnataka Assembly election drama, the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) knocked on the doors of the Supreme Court at midnight Wednesday, 16 May, to appeal against the Karnataka Governor inviting the Bharatiya Janata Party to form the government in the state.
The apex court, in a rare occasion, began the hearing in the case at 1:45 am. A bench comprising Justices AK Sikri, Ashok Bhushan and SA Bobde was constituted when the Congress and the JD(S) decided to file the petition challenging Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala’s decision to allow BJP to form the government in the state despite falling short of the halfway-mark of 112 seats.
The bench refused to stay the swearing-in of BS Yeddyurappa as Karnataka Chief Minister, however, it added that the it will look into the governor’s decision on Friday, 18 May.
The court also directed Yeddyurappa to produce the letters informing Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala of the BJP’s majority in the state.
The Quint first broke the story at 8:41 pm on Wednesday, 16 May, when the JD(S) lawyer left his office to meet Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi to finalise the petition.
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The Quint has exclusively accessed the copy of the 48 pages petition filed in the SC.