Yeddyurappa Asked For 'Reasonable Time', Got One Day Before Strength Test

New Delhi: Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa requested "reasonable time" to prove his majority, before being ordered by the Supreme Court to take a trust vote tomorrow at 4 pm. There were precedents, the court said.

Arguing on behalf of Mr Yeddyurappa, former Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi said, "There should be a reasonable time, not one day, for a floor test."

The judges replied, "There are past precedents fixing such short time period for a floor test."

One of the arguments that Mr Rohatgi put up was: "Congress and Janata Dal Secular lawmakers are locked up outside the state. They have to come. So give more time."

Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who moved the petition challenging Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Valla's decision to invite the BJP to form government despite it being short of the majority mark, said his party was ready for a floor test tomorrow.

Mr Rohatgi submitted Mr Yeddyurappa's letters to the governor staking claim to power. The court had asked to see the letters and what the BJP had said about numbers in an all-night hearing on Wednesday.
 The BJP won 104 seats in the Karnataka election, eight short of the majority mark. The Congress emerged second but quickly tied up with the Janata Dal Secular (JDS) and extended support to its leader HD Kumaraswamy. Together, the two have 117 lawmakers.

Mr Rohatgi said a floor test was the only option to check who had the numbers to form government, accusing the Congress and the JDS of forging signatures.

"We will show numbers where required, why should we show the numbers in the Supreme Court?" said Mr Rohatgi.

The court said there were "two options" -- a hearing on the governor's action or a floor test tomorrow.

"It is a number game, whoever enjoys the majority should be invited," said Justice AK Sikri, who headed the three-judge bench.