K'taka: Pro-tem Speaker stays, SC orders live telecast of trust vote
The Supreme Court rejected Congress-JD(S) plea challenging appointment of pro tem speaker KG Bopaiah.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Saturday morning rejected the Congress-JD(S) plea which challenged the appointment of pro-tem Speaker KG Bopaiah to oversee Karnataka Assembly's trust vote in the evening.
The apex court ruled K G Bopaiah would continue to be the pro-tem Speaker for today's floor test at 4 pm.
The Supreme Court also ordered live streaming of the floor test at Karnataka Assembly where Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa has to prove his majority in the House.
"Live broadcast of the floor test will be the best possible way to ensure transparency in the proceedings," a bench comprising justices A K Sikri, S A Bobde and Ashok Bhushan said.
Abhishek Manu Singhvi of the Congress said, "The most important objective of our plea was to establish transparency. Since live feed of proceedings would be broadcast, we hope and trust there will be fairness. I have no doubt the Congress and JD(S) will emerge victorious."
Most important objective was to establish transparency. Since the statement has come from ASG that live feed of proceedings would be given, we hope & trust there would be fairness. I have no doubt that the victory would be of Congress & JD(S): Abhishek Manu Singhvi #Karnataka pic.twitter.com/bIBCybpRxQ
— ANI (@ANI) May 19, 2018
Bopaiah, who is known to be close to Yeddyurappa, had in 2010 disqualified 11 BJP lawmakers when they revolted after Yeddy was charged in a mining scam.
This disqualification helped the Yeddyurappa-led BJP government survive a trust vote. The decision was later cancelled by the Supreme Court. The apex court said Bopaiah had not been fair.
(With agency inputs)