Newly sworn-in Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa said the party would prove majority after the floor test on Saturday, as ruled by the Supreme Court on Friday.
Yeddyurappa, who was sworn-in as the CM on Thursday, exuded confidence that BJP, short of eight seats to reach the majority mark, has enough numbers to win the floor test.
“We will obey the Supreme Court order on floor test. We will discuss with Chief Secretary and call for assembly session tomorrow. We are 100% confident that we will prove full majority,” the BJP leader told the media soon after the Supreme Court ordered floor test for 19 May.
Earlier on Friday, the three-judge Supreme Court bench ordered that the floor test should be conducted at 4 pm on Saturday in the Karnataka Assembly. The court was hearing the Congress-JD(S) combine’s petition challenging Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala’s decision to invite the BJP to form government in Karnataka.
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After the court’s order, Congress president Rahul Gandhi alleged that the BJP would now try money and muscle to steal the mandate.
“Today’s Supreme Court order, vindicates our stand that Governor Vala acted unconstitutionally. The BJP’s bluff that it will form the Govt., even without the numbers, has been called out by the court. Stopped legally, they will now try money & muscle, to steal the mandate,” tweeted Rahul Gandhi.
Meanwhile, the top court rejected the request by Mukul Rohatgi, the counsel for Yeddyurappa, to give some more time for the floor test. The court also said it would ask the Karnataka DGP to make proper arrangements for the floor test.
The apex court also said Yeddyurappa could not take any policy-related decision in his capacity of CM until the floor test.
Also Read | Karnataka: Rahul says SC order vindicates Cong, fears BJP may use muscle now
During the hearing, Attorney General KK Venugopal suggested that the floor test be conducted through secret ballot, which was immediately rejected by the Supreme Court.