On May 16 Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala invited BJP’s B.S. Yeddyurappa to form the government in the State, forcing the Congress to move the Supreme Court.
Lead by Abhishek Singhvi, Congress approached the Supreme Court seeking an immediate intervention by the chief justice to stay the move, which it termed as an “encounter of the Constitution”.
The Supreme Court agreed to hear the petition filed by the Congress-JD(S) combine, challenging the Karnataka Governor’s decision at 1.45 am on Thursday. The petition sought a stay on the oath-taking ceremony of BJP leader B.S. Yeddyurappa.
Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra constituted a Bench comprising Justices A.K. Sikri, S.A. Bobde and Ashok Bhushan to hear the petition in court number six at 2.00 am
After the all-night hearing that stretched for three-and-a-half hours, the Supreme Court refused to stay Mr. Yeddyurappa’s swearing-in as Chief Minister of Karnataka, but said that the matter will be “subject to outcome of petition here or further orders.”
The SC asks the Attorney-General K.K. Venugopal to produce the letters given to the Governor by Mr. Yeddyurappa staking his claim to form the government. SC will now hear the case at 10.30 a.m. on Friday.
