BJP legislature party leader B S Yeddyurappa was sworn in on Thursday morning as the chief minister of Karnataka for a second time, after an overnight high-voltage legal battle in the Supreme Court. The 75-year-old Lingayat strongman was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Vajubhai Vala at a ceremony at Raj Bhavan amid loud cheering by his supporters. Yeddyurappa was administered the oath alone, hours after the Supreme Court refused to stay his swearing-in. In a rare post-midnight courtroom battle, the Congress-JD(S) combine made a desperate legal push to stall the government formation. Yeddyurappa has 15 days to prove his majority in the Assembly. The BJP has 104 MLAs in the House, eight short of the magic figure of 112. Earlier through the night, the Supreme Court order refused to stay the swearing-in of BJP leader B S Yeddyurappa in Karnataka but said the swearing-in and government formation by the BJP in Karnataka is subject to the outcome of the case before it. Highlights:
* A bench of Justices A K Sikri, S A Bobde and Ashok Bhushan was specially convened at “odd hours” to hear the petition which challenges the Governor Vajubhai Vala’s communication to Yeddyurappa to be sworn in as CM.
* The bench noted that it is necessary to peruse the letters dated May 15 and May 16 submitted by Yeddyurappa to Governor for claiming stake for government formation.
* It requested Attorney General K K Venugopal, appearing for the Centre and Yeddyurappa to produce these letters on next hearing tomorrow at 10.30 am.
* The court made it clear that its order allowing swearing-in and government formation by the BJP in Karnataka is subject to the outcome of the case before it.
* It also issued notices to the Karnataka government and Yeddyurappa as it was clarified by senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi that he was appearing for three BJP MLAs — Govind M Karjol, C M Udasi and Basavaraj Bommai.
* Congress and JD(S) MLAs will hold a dharna outside Karnataka assembly to protest against governor Bala’s decision to overlook the numbers that the post-poll alliance of Congress-JD(S).
* Congress president Rahul Gandhi tweeted saying the BJP had made a mockery of the Constitution. “The BJP’s irrational insistence that it will form a Govt. in Karnataka, even though it clearly doesn’t have the numbers, is to make a mockery of our Constitutiton,” Gandhi said. “This morning, while the BJP celebrates its hollow victory, India will mourn the defeat of democracy.”
The BJP’s irrational insistence that it will form a Govt. in Karnataka, even though it clearly doesn’t have the numbers, is to make a mockery of our Constitution.
This morning, while the BJP celebrates its hollow victory, India will mourn the defeat of democracy.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 17, 2018
(with PTI inputs)