Karnataka crisis: Floor test and row over protem speaker - how events will unfold today

Click to know how events are likely to unfold in Karnataka on Saturday where a floor test will be held to ascertain if CM BS Yeddyurappa has the majority to stay in power.

BENGALURU: While Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa faces an uphill task in proving majority during the floor test scheduled to be held at 4 pm on Saturday, the apex court is also due to hear a plea challenging the appointment of KG as the Protem Speaker. Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala had on Friday appointed KG Bopaiah as the Protem Speaker. However, this has not gone down well with the Congress and the Janata Dal-Secular, which later challenged Bopaiah's appointment in the top court.

Here are the top developments so far:-

- The results of the floor test will be declared to ascertain whether BSY has the required majority or not. 

-After the oath and Governor's speech, the floor test proceedings will begin in the assembly.

-Governor Vajubhai Vala has convened a session of the Karnataka Assembly after which newly-elected MLAs will be administered the oath of office and secrecy.

-Ahead of the floor tests, the top court will hear a plea challenging KG Bopaiah's appointment as Protem Speaker. 

-As directed by the SC, BS Yeddyurappa will face floor test in state assembly at 4 pm this evening  

-The apex court directed Rohatgi to give the copies of the letters to the counsel appearing for Congress-JD(S) combine. 

-Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Yeddyurappa, contended that there was no pre-poll alliance between the Congress and JDS and they have formed an "unholy alliance" after the elections.

-BSY told the bench that being the single largest party, the BJP was the "mandate of people" of the state who have thrown out the Congress.

-Govt shall not nominate the Anglo Indian Representative before the floor test, it said.

-The order was passed by the apex court bench comprising Justices  AK Sikri, SA Bobde and Ashok Bhushan.

-Government shall not take any major policy decisions before the results of the floor test come.

-''Let the House decide and the best course would be floor test," a three-judge bench headed by Justice AK Sikri said.

-Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the CM, had sought reasonable time till Monday for the floor test but the bench rejected

-Protem Speaker will decide the mode of the test, the top court said. 

-There will be no secret ballot, the top court said. 

-The top court bench also ordered the appointment of a Protem Speaker by 4 pm on Friday.

-The floor test will be held under the supervision of a Protem Speaker.

-During the hearing, Yeddyurappa placed in SC the letters sent to Governor 

-The top court passed the order responding to a Congress-JDS petition challenging the Governor's invite to BSY to form government.

-The three-member bench had on Friday ordered a floor test at 4 pm on Saturday, May 19.

-In a historic pre-dawn hearing, the top court had on Thursday cleared the last-minute hurdle created by the Congress-JD(S) combine for the BJP's ambitious surge in southern India by paving the way for Yeddyurappa to be sworn in as the Chief Minister of Karnataka.

-A specially constituted three-judge bench after more than three hours of the hearing had made it clear that it was not interfering with the Governor's decision to invite the saffron party to form the government in the state in which BJP with 104 seats has emerged as the single largest party.

-During the high-voltage hearing, which lasted from 2.11 am to 5.28 am, the top court had made it clear that the swearing-in and government formation would be subject to the final outcome of the case.

-The court had directed the Centre to place before it two communications sent by Yeddyurappa to the Governor in which he had staked claim to form a government, saying their perusal was necessary to decide the case.