TIL Desk/National/New Delhi/ The Supreme Court on Friday ordered a floor test in the Karnataka assembly at 4 pm on Saturday, drastically slashing the 15-day window given by the Governor to Bharatiya Janata Party Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa to prove majority.
“Let the House decide and the best course would be floor test,” a three-judge bench headed by Justice A K Sikri said.The bench, also comprising Justices S A Bobde and Ashok Bhushan, turned down Yeddyurappa’s request for a secret ballot during the floor test.
It directed the Karnataka government and the Governor not to nominate any MLA from the Anglo-Indian community to participate in the floor test on Saturday.The bench asked the newly elected government not to take any major policy decision till it proves majority in the House.
The apex court made it clear that it would deal with the constitutionality of the Governor’s letter inviting Yeddyurappa to form the government later. The top court said the Pro tem speaker will take decisions in accordance with the law on the issue of floor test and ordered the authorities, including the Director General of Police, to ensure law and order outside the Karnataka assembly.
The bench said ultimately the question is about majority which has to be proved in the floor test. The BJP has emerged as the single largest party with 104 seats, followed by the Congress with 78, Janata Dal-Secular with 37 and three seats have gone to others in the 224-member assembly where elections were held for 222 seats.
