Ram Jethmalani moves SC over CM Yeddyurappa

Senior lawyer Ram Jethmalani, on Thursday, petitioned the Supreme Court bench to have an urgent hearing over the Karnataka Governor's decision to invite the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to form a government in their state.

Governor Vajubhai R. Vala had yesterday invited the BJP to form the new government, as it was the single largest party post the assembly elections in the state. BJP leader B. S. Yeddyurappa was therefore sworn in as the 23rd chief minister of Karnataka on Thursday.

That decision led Congress and JD-S leaders to stage firm protests at the Mahatma Gandhi statue in the Vidhan Soudha complex with several prominent personalities including Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ashok Gehlot, Siddaramaiah, Mallikarjun Kharge and K. C. Venugopal present.

Both parties argued that they were in a better position to form the government, as they had enough seats together (115) to do so automatically, something the BJP had fallen short of despite emerging as the single largest party post elections.

The bench, comprising of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justices Ajay Manikrao Khanwilkar and Dhananjaya Y. Chandrachud, directed Jethmalani to mention it before the Justice A.K. Sikri-led bench tomorrow.