Karnataka: SC orders floor test, appointment of Protem Speaker; what all we know so far

The Supreme Court on Friday ordered that a floor test be held in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly at 4 pm on Saturday, May 19 to ascertain whether newly appointed CM BS Yeddyurappa enjoys a majority in the state.

Bengaluru: In a significant development, the Supreme Court on Friday ordered that a floor test be held in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly at 4 pm on Saturday, May 19 to ascertain whether newly appointed BJP Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa enjoys a majority in the state.

-The three-member bench ordered a floor test at 4 pm on Saturday, May 19.

-The top court bench also ordered the appointment of a Protem Speaker by 4 pm this evening.

-The floor test will held under the supervision of a Protem Speaker.

-Protem Speaker will decide the mode of test. 

-There will be no secret ballot 

-Govt shall not nominate the Anglo Indian Representative before the floor test.

-Government shall not take any major policy decisions before the results of the floor test come.

-''Let the House decide and the best course would be floor test," a three-judge bench headed by Justice AK Sikri said.

-Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the CM, had sought reasonable time till Monday for the floor test but the bench rejected

-The order was passed by the apex court bench comprising Justices  AK Sikri, SA Bobde and Ashok Bhushan.

-The top court passed the order responding to a Congress-JDS petition challenging the Governor's invite to BSY to form government.

-During hearing, Yeddyurappa placed in SC the letters sent to Governor 

-BSY told the bench that being the single largest party the BJP was the "mandate of people" of the state who have thrown out the Congress.

-Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Yeddyurappa, contended that there was no pre-poll alliance between the Congress and JDS and they have formed an "unholy alliance" after the elections.

-The apex court directed Rohatgi to give the copies of the letters to the counsel appearing for Congress-JD(S) combine. 

-In a historic pre-dawn hearing, the top court had on Thursday cleared the last-minute hurdle created by the Congress-JD(S) combine for the BJP's ambitious surge in southern India by paving the way for Yeddyurappa to be sworn in as the Chief Minister of Karnataka.

-A specially constituted three-judge bench after more than three hours of the hearing had made it clear that it was not interfering with the Governor's decision to invite the saffron party to form the government in the state in which BJP with 104 seats has emerged as the single largest party.

-During the high-voltage hearing, which lasted from 2.11 am to 5.28 am, the top court had made it clear that the swearing-in and government formation would be subject to the final outcome of the case.

-The court had directed the Centre to place before it two communications sent by Yeddyurappa to the Governor in which he had staked claim to form a government, saying their perusal was necessary to decide the case.