The Karnataka government seems to be caught on a sticky wicket with the Supreme Court ordering a floor test to be conducted at 4pm on May 19. The SC was hearing a petition by the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) challenging the Karnataka governor’s decision to invite the BJP to form the government.
Though the BJP had emerged as the single largest party, it was 8 short of the halfway mark. BS Yedyurappa who has already been sworn in was earlier given 15 days to prove majority on the floor of the state assembly. The SC refused to budge from its decision and rejected the BJP’s appeal to postpone the floor test. The BJP will now have to scramble support and cobble up a majority in just one day!
Meanwhile a proterm speaker has to be nominated to conduct the floor test. This is most likely to be Congress MLA RV Deshpande as he is the senior most member of the house. The proterm speaker will decide the method of conducting the floor test. The floor test can be conducted using ballots. Other option is to ask for a voice vote which can make it harder to prove majority because it boils down to who is noisier, hardly an irrefutable and verifiable method of determining a majority in a closely contested race.