"Hotel Owner Has 116...Says Make Me Chief Minister": Comic Relief In Supreme Court

Like every big development, the Karnataka political drama has also inspired many social media jokes, memes and WhatsApp messages. One of them featured in today's Supreme Court hearing, in which BJP's BS Yeddyurappa was ordered to take a trust vote by 4 pm on Saturday.

It was brought up by one of the three judges hearing the Congress petition challenging the governor's decision to invite Mr Yeddyurappa to form government.

Justice AK Sikri, who was heading the bench, wrapped up a tense hearing by referring lightly to a WhatsApp forward.

"We are getting a WhatsApp message which says the hotel owner saying he has 116 MLAs, make me the CM," Justice Sikri commented.

The joke goes something like this: " Hello, is this the Governor's office?"

"Yes."

"I have got 113 MLAs with me. Will you make me the CM (Chief Minister)?"

"Who is this?"

"I am the owner of the Hotel where they are hidden."

The joke refers to the Eagleton Resort in Bengaluru, where the Congress put up its lawmakers yesterday to sequester them from possible attempts to bribe or threaten them into switching sides.

The BJP won 104 seats, eight short of the majority mark of 112, in the Karnataka election results on Tuesday. A day later, Governor Vajubhai Vala decided to invite the BJP, as single largest party, instead of the Congress-Janata Dal Secular combine, which has 116 lawmakers.

The Congress challenged the decision the same night, which led to a historic all-night Supreme Court hearing. The court did not stop Mr Yeddyurappa's swearing in but said it would continue the hearing. Today, the judges reduced the 15-day period that Mr Yeddyurappa was given to prove his majority.