When SC judge AK Sikri cited a WhatsApp joke during Karnataka trust vote hearing

NEW DELHI: There was intense action taking place in the Supreme Court on Friday with the Congress and the Janata Dal United (JDS) appealing against the formation of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Karnataka. Amid the arguments, Supreme Court judge Arjan Kumar Sikri brought up a WhatsApp joke that is doing the rounds. 

The joke he narrated in court was: "Former AG Mukul Rohatgi: Congress has locked up people in a resort.
Justice Sikri: Yes, we read a joke on WhatsApp that the resort owner may stake claim to form government as he has 116 MLAs with him." 

The apex 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 BJP Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa to prove majority. "Let the House decide and the best course would be floor test," a three-judge bench headed by Justice AK Sikri said.

The court has also 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 and has asked the newly elected government not to take any major policy decision till it proves majority in the House.

The bench, also comprising Justices SA Bobde and Ashok Bhushan, turned down Yeddyurappa's request for a secret ballot during the floor test.

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 BJP emerged as the single largest party with 104 seats, followed by the Congress with 78, JDS with 37 and three seats have gone to others in the 224-member Assembly where elections were held for 222 seats. The majority mark is 112 seats and the post-poll alliance strength of the Congress-JD(S) combine, which claims to have 117 MLAs, has alleged foul play in the Governor inviting BJP to form the government.