KG Bopaiah was not the seniormost member in the assembly, Congress claimed.
Day after the Supreme Court reduced the 15-day window given to Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa by Governor Vajubhai Vala for proving majority in the state assembly to just one day, the top court today heard a plea filed against appointment of BJP lawmaker KG Bopaiah as the interim speaker of the state assembly. The petition was filed by Congress on Friday as the grand old party alleged Mr Bopaiah had a history of helping Mr Yeddyurappa in surviving the floor test. In 2010, Mr Bopaiah disqualified five independent and 11 BJP legislators who rebelled against Mr Yeddyurappa, the party said. However, the decision was later revoked by Supreme Court.
Here are the highlights:
Congress leader P Chidambaram tweeted, "Every trick of the BJP to delay or derail the vote of confidence has been defeated" on the Supreme Court's decision to live broadcast the floor test.
Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi further says, "The live telecast has been offered after our request. If not it could have been done yesterday. The court has understood the need/necessity of it. this has been agreed upon after our doubts."
Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi says, "All we want is transparency. Everyone said that they will get 10 days , I think it is better this way that the floor test was asked to be done today. In 1 and half days, we have achieved all this. There are no other agendas. Whoever wins or not, it willl be done by democracy."
Advocate Kapil Sibal says, "We just ask that no other agenda be discussed. Just administer oath and take the confidence vote. We told the court that we don't need qanything more. Jo Jeetega wahi sikander."
Congress leader and advocate Kapil Sibal says,"Yeddyurappa had plans of getting 15 MLAs out. Until yesterday, we thought that the senior most member of parliament is the pro tem speaker. The court told us that we can issue notice if we wanted to do somehting about this. Since the floor test was at 4, we wanted to come to a logical conclusion and hence decided on the live streaming."
New Karnataka assembly session begins, MLAs take oath
B Sriramulu and Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa have resigned from Lok Sabha. Their resignations have been accepted by the Speaker. They have now been elected for Karnataka Assembly.
Two missing Congress MLAs Anand Singh and Pratap Patil not present in the Karnataka Assembly yet for oath-taking. The floor test is to be held at 4 pm today.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi says, "They (Congress) wanted their senior most person to be there, it was rejected. Speaker has allowed live streaming, this is the highest amount of transparency. There is no order or division of votes. All these were desperate attempts by BJP. Seems more there they do not want the vote because they are scared."
Abhishek Manu Singhvi says further, "The most important part is transparency so that no doubt on trust vote. Live feed will be released simultaneously by regional and national channels. Videography was a specific request. We hope ultimate victor will be parliamentary democracy. No doubt, the victory will be of Congress- JDS combined."
Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi says, " We are thankful to Supreme Court yet again. The Court agreed to hear an urgent matter. We wanted floor test should be transparent and that has been granted by the Supreme Court."
Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa and Siddaramaiah take oath as MLAs at Vidhana Soudha.
Supreme Court rejects Congress-JD(S) plea challenging appointment of pro tem speaker KG Bopaiah. He will continue to be pro-tem speaker.
Supreme Court orders live telecast of floor test at Karnataka Assembly
Supreme Court says live broadcast of floor test will be best possible way to ensure transparency in proceedings. It said that several local channels will be provided the live feed of the proceedings so that they telecast simultaneously.
Inside visuals of CM BS Yeddyurappa Siddaramaiah and BJP's B Sriramulu inside Vidhana Soudha.
Kapil Sibal in his response to Justice SA Bobde says ''KG Bopaiah has different history. His decision of disqualification was set aside by this Court earlier.''
Justice SA Bobde says, "There have been instances where senior most MLA wasn't appointed as Pro tem speaker."
Continuing the argument, Congress leader and advocate Kapil Sibal says, ''Long standing convention has been broken after the appointment of KG Bopaiah. Even Supreme Court has ratified this practice in two judgments."
As the hearing on Congress-JD(S) plea challenging appointment of pro tem speaker KG Bopaiah commences, former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah tweeted saying, "Chief Minister Yeddyurappa's tenure will end tomorrow. Without a majority, the Constitution has received a sworn oath against the voters' hopes of the country. There is absolute confidence that today's referendum will be won."
Starting the hearing, Congress leader and advocate Kapil Sibal says that, "The individual appointed must be the senior most member of the House which is a convention in the Parliament also.''
Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Kapil Sibal appear for Congress & JD(S). Attorney General KK Venugopal & Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Tushar Mehta along with Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi to defend appointment of Pro tem speaker KG Bopaiah.
Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa and other MLAs of BJP arrive at Vidhana Soudha, flashing victory signs.
Hearing on Congress-JD(S) plea challenging the appointment of pro tem speaker KG Bopaiah, begins in the Supreme Court. They had asked Supreme Court on Friday to cancel Mr Bopaiah's appointment.
Janata Dal Secular (JDS) chief HD Kumaraswamy ahead of the floor test in Karnataka says, "For me, today is not an important day, the important days will come in future. Upto 4 pm, BJP will try to poach our MLAs. All the MLAs are together, no one is going to go to the other side. None of our MLAs are trapped."
Bus carrying BJP MLAs arrives at Shangri-La hotel in Bengaluru for the party legislature meeting. Earlier, Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa arrived at hotel too for the meeting.
Former chief minister Siddaramaiah reaches Vidhan Soudha where there is heavy security deployed.
Three-judge Supreme Court bench will start the hearing at 10:30 am. The trust vote is to happen later in the day, at 4 p.m.
BJP leader Ramalinga Reddy says that Congress MLA Anand Singh will definitely for BJP.
Congress lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi leaves for the Supreme Court for hearing in plea filed by Congress-JD(S) regarding the appointment of pro tem speaker KG Bopaiah today. The three-judge bench, which had taken up the earlier petition against Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa's appointment, will start the hearing at 10.30 a.m, just half-an-hour before the assembly meets in Bengaluru.
Union Minister Sadananda Gowda says, "Wait till 4.30 pm. We will win and BS Yeddyurappa will be the chief minister for 5 years."
Visuals of security outside Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru ahead of the floor test to be held today at 4 pm.
JD(S) MLAs arrive at Le Meridien hotel in Bengaluru. In Bengaluru, the Congress-Janata Dal Secular (JDS) combine had worried sick about efforts to bribe or threaten their freshly-minted legislators to cross over to the BJP.
Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa arrives at Shangri-La hotel for the party legislature meeting. He is then scheduled to leave for the Assembly.
BS Yeddyurappa says "100% I am going to have absolute majority. Tomorrow I am going to take all that decision which I promised to the people of Karnataka."
Senior Congress party leader Ghulam Nabi Azad also say's that, "Numbers are against BJP. Numbers are in favor of us. MLAs are also in our favour. We will form the govt."
Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge says that, "BJP does not have the numbers, we will win the floor test. BJP is just trying to prove their majority and they will fail to do so" in today's floor test.
On Friday, Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said, "What the BJP has done is against the rule book. Ideally the senior most leader is supposed to hold that position."
The Congress and the JD(S) petition in Supreme Court states the court should pass appropriate orders directing that voting in floor test has to be carried out by segregating MLAs supporting and opposing the motion in different lobbies of House, news agency ANI reported