#Karnataka: Saying it ‘Impossible’, SC Refuses to Hear Plea by MLAs Seeking Floor Test

Bangalore, July 22: The Supreme Court today morning refused to hear the pleas of two Independent MLAs who withdrew support to the Congress-JD(S) government in Karnataka.

 

The MLAs were seeking court direction to ask the coalition government to finish the floor test by Monday evening itself. The court has however refused to hear the matter on an urgent basis and also said that they would not interfere in the matter of the pending floor test in Karnataka assembly.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said, "Impossible! We have never done this before. Tomorrow we may see to it."

Floor test in the Karnataka assembly has been scheduled for Monday after missing two earlier deadlines. While the Kumaraswamy government is insisting on debate and addressing concerns of all MLAs in the House, Opposition BJP has been demanding immediate voting.

Independent MLAs R Shankar and H Nagesh, in their petition in the Supreme Court, have said that Karnataka has plunged into a political crisis. They withdrew their support to the government while 16 other lawmakers of the ruling coalition have also tendered their resignation.

 

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatagi, who appeared for the two legislators, said the Karnataka floor test is being delayed for various reasons and sought a hearing of the plea on Monday.

"It is submitted that the trust vote is not being conducted despite the government being in minority. It is submitted that a minority government, which does not have the confidence of the majority, is being allowed to continue in office," the Independent legislators said in their plea.

"The petitioners have been constrained to invoke the extraordinary jurisdiction of this court under Article 32 of the Constitution of India seeking a direction from this court to conduct a floor test forthwith in the Karnataka Assembly," the plea says.