SC to hear Cong-JDS plea against KG Bopaiah's appointment as pro tem speaker

The hearing will take place at 10:30 am on Saturday.

The Congress party has alleged that the appointment violates the Constitution.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said: "Appointment of Shri Bopaiah as a Pro Tem Speaker, violates every settled constitutional tradition and every settled parliamentary practice. This is a 3rd encounter of the Constitution committed by Vajubhai Vala at the instance of PM Modi and Amit Shah."

"What did the Supreme Court say – it said three things about Mr Bopaiah;  (1) that Mr. Bopaiah in league with Shri Yeddyurappa was trying to defeat a floor test so that Shri Yeddyurappa remained Chief Minister(2) that Shri Bopaiah, flagrantly violated the constitution. (3) That Shri Bopaiah flagrantly violated the law & rules and every settled principle of natural justice and fair play, only to ensure that Shri Yeddyurappa somehow remained in power and defeated the floor test," Surjewala said.

The Congress party said that Karanataka Governor Vajubhai Vala must understand that he cannot "murder democracy in broad day light, nor he can trample upon the Constitution and throw it in the dust bin of history."

"Appointment of a three-time MLA as a Pro Tem Speaker,discarding senior most Legislator tradition of being appointed as Pro Tem Speaker, reflects that BJP does not have majority and that they have conceded defeat pursuant to today's verdict of the SC," the Congress alleged.

In a jolt to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Supreme Court on Friday ordered a floor test in the Karnataka assembly at 4 pm on Saturday, turning down the saffron outfit's request for more time to prove majority.

The Congress called the judgement "historic" while Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa said he would prove his majority on the floor of the house on Saturday.

The apex court has ruled out videography or use of secret ballots in the conduction of the floor test.

Following the order, Congress' senior leader Abhishek Singhvi, who led the Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) in the court, said: "Truth will come out tomorrow."

Singhvi has also termed the Supreme Court's order as "historic interim order".

BJP's BS Yeddyurappa has already sworn in as the new Karnataka Chief Minister.

Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala had earlier granted 15 days to the BJP to prove its majority, after the part failed to reach the seats needed to form the government on its own.

After the verdict, Yeddyurappa told media that the BJP is ready for the floor test and the party will also win it.

The legal battle has a genesis in the fractured mandate meted out by the Karnataka people in the recently concluded assembly polls.

The Congress and the JD(S), which had won 78 and 38 seats respectively, united after the poll results to keep the BJP, which bagged 104 seats, out of power.

The Congress and the JD(S) knocked the door of the Supreme Court on Wednesday night immediately after the Governor's invitation to Yeddyurappa to take oath as the CM.

However, after a three-hour long hearing in the midnight drama, the top court had refused to stay the swearing-in ceremony, which was held on Thursday.

A three-judge bench comprising Justices AK Sikri, A Bobde and Ashok Bhushan has heard the case.

Ex-Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi was defending the BJP and Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta was advocating the union government in the case, report said.