The Apex Court on Monday refused to give the urgent hearing to the plea filed by two Independent lawmakers seeking court directions to Karnataka Assembly to conclude the Floor Test by 5 pm today. The Top Court bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said, ‘We can consider the plea taking up tomorrow, but now today’.
The plea was moved before the highest court by senior lawyer Mukul Rohatgi. The plea was filed by Independent legislators who earlier withdrew the support from Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy.
Both the Independent Lawmakers – H Nagesh and R Shankar – made Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, Karnataka Assembly KR Ramesh Kumar, and the Union Government as respondents in the plea.
The petition filed by two MLAs contended that the government, which does not have the number in the house, is being allowed to continue in the office. It further alleged that the state government is ‘intentionally’ delaying the Trust Vote and indulge in defections and horse-trading from the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Requesting the court to intervene, the plea said ‘this court may be pleased to intervene in a bid to uphold the law and constitutional democracy’.
In the meantime, Karnataka Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar on Monday summoned rebel MLAs to meet him at his office at 11 am on July 23. The notice has been issued over disqualification (of rebel MLAs) petition by coalition leaders.
As the Karnataka Assembly Session is slated for Monday, today, all eyes will be in the proceedings of the day in the backdrop of the allegation leveled by BJP against KR Ramesh Kumar. BJP alleged that Assembly Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar his intentionally dragging his feet from the Floor Test and delaying with an intent.
HD Kumaraswamy-led coalition government, on Friday, failed to meet the two deadlines set by the Governor Vajubhai Vala for the Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy to prove the majority in the House. Following which the floor test was scheduled for Monday.
The Supreme Court last week ruled that the 15 rebel MLAs cannot be compelled to take part in the proceedings of the House.
The 13-months old coalition government suffered a huge setback earlier this month when 11 MLAs from Congress–JD(S) ruling coalition tendered their resignation. And thereafter political episode and drama started in Karnataka. Later on, many other MLAs also tendered their resignation taking the tally to over 16 till now.
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