K'taka crisis: SC to hear on Tuesday plea of 2 independent MLAs for immediate floor test

The Supreme Court will hear on Tuesday a fresh plea of two Independent Karnataka MLAs seeking holding of the floor test "forthwith" in the state Assembly on the trust motion moved by Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi on Monday declined to hear during the day the plea by R Shankar and H Nagesh.

"On mentioning, the matter is taken on board. List the matter tomorrow before the appropriate bench as per the roster," the bench, also comprising Justices Deepak Gupta and Aniruddha Bose, said in its order.

For the third day running, the Karnataka Assembly has been debating the confidence motion.

At the outset, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the MLAs, said that he has filed a new petition in the Karnataka matter and it be heard either during the day or tomorrow on urgent basis.

"The floor test is being delayed on one pretext or the other," he said.

He said when the Congress-JD(S) coalition can take orders for holding of floor test earlier, then same order can be issued now.

The bench, which also comprised Justices Deepak Gupta and Aniruddha Bose, said, "Impossible (to list today). We have never done this before. Tomorrow we may see to it."
The plea has further said, "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."