SC to hear plea against Bopaiah's appointment on Saturday

The Supreme Court will hear on Saturday morning an application by the Congress and the JD-S challenging Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala's decision to appoint K.G. Bopaiah, a relatively junior MLA, as the pro-tem Speaker.

Advocate Dev Dutt Kamat, who has filed the application, told reporters at the Supreme Court that the application was filed at 7.45 p.m and has been listed to be heard by a bench of Justice A.K. Sikri, Justice S.A. Bobde and Justice Ashok Bhushan at 10.30 a.m on Saturday.

He said the Supreme Court has passed scriptures against Bopaiah for acting in a partisan manner and disqualifying MLAs who had earlier revolted against then Chief Ministere B.S. Yeddyurappa.

Bopaiah is to preside over the floor test on Saturday to ascertain whether newly-appointed Chief Minister Yeddyurappa enjoys a majority support in the assembly.

In the evening, a team of Congress leaders arrived at the Supreme Court to file the plea.

The Congress has contended that Bopaiah is not the senior-most member in the newly-elected House and as per the parliamentary convention, it is only the senior-most member in terms of number of times he has been elected to the Assembly who can be a pro-tem Speaker.

Earlier in the day, the party alleged Bopaiah's appointment was made "with the sole intent of manufacturing a majority out of minority for Yeddyurappa".

--IANS

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