Soon after Karnataka Governor Vajubhai R Vala on Wednesday night invited the BJP to form a Government in the State, the Congress rushed to Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra to ask him to cancel the Governor’s invitation to the BJP. The Congress requested the CJI to hold the hearing later in the night to ensure that Yeddyurappa is not sworn in on Thursday. The party called the Governor’s decision an “encounter of the Constitution”.
“law declared by the Supreme Court is binding on all. The Karnataka Governor should not act illegally rather behave in accordance with the tradition, constitutional and legal provisions. The Governor should not walk a path that is illegal,” said former Finance Minister P Chidambaram. He was joined by Kapil Sibal and Vivek Tankha, all members in the Rajya Sabha and Supreme Court lawyers.
Earlier, before moving the SC, AICC communications head Randeep Surjewala told the media that papers are ready and certainly the highest judicial body will be approached at a very appropriate time with no further delay.
“There has been a constitutional crisis in the country. Complete breakdown of the system and the ruling party has chosen to break away from the tradition they practiced till formation of three Governments in recent past.
Different yardsticks to suit themselves,” Surjewala said. In fact, the Congress had started preparing the ground to move court earlier in the day expecting a negative response from the Raj Bhavan.
Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad had hinted that if the Governor approaches the BJP first to form Government then the party will approach the Supreme Court.
Sibal said that the Governor was “constitutionally obliged” to invite the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) post-poll alliance to form Government in the State.
“The Governor is constitutionally obliged to invite the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) combine. There was no choice with the Governor, but to invite us to form Government but the Governor chose to act partisan,” Sibal said.
Party general secretary Ashok Gehlot said that the Governor was forced to sing the tune of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah and help the BJP to stake claim to form Government.
Congress leaders met the Governor twice citing past precedent set by the BJP in Goa, Manipur and Meghalaya to support its claim that post-poll alliance partners can be called to form government. “We have staked our claim for formation of a government as we have the numbers as also the total vote share of over 56 per cent,” Gehlot said.