SC refuses urgent hearing on plea against coalition govt

The Supreme Court on Friday declined to grant urgent hearing to a plea contending formation of JD(S)-Congress government in Karnataka was not fair as the person chosen as chief minister had only a few members in the Assembly.

A vacation bench of Justices Adarsh Kumar Goel and Ashok Bhushan told petitioner-advocate that the matter would come up for hearing after summer break.

The advocate mentioned his petition seeking urgent hearing, saying the apex court was happy to meet in the middle of the night and sit upto early hours to consider a petition filed by Congress leader G Parameshwara and JD(S) state chief H D Kumaraswamy. He withheld his name for “security purposes.”

Claiming that he was seeking justice for people of Karnataka, the petitioner sought a direction to make changes in the law to allow them to choose their leader and make guidelines to help decide the minimum education level of MLAs and MPs.

“The person who has been made the chief minister represents only a few MLAs. Is this fair? Should not something be done? They have made mistakes in some states like Goa in the past. But is it fair if some one has made a wrong precedence and that it becomes a way of life,” the petitioner, a resident of Bengaluru, asked.

The voters of Karnataka should not be allowed to suffer for the mistakes done elsewhere in other states. This is against articles 14 (equality), 15 (prohibition of discrimination) and 21 (life and liberty) of the Constitution, he claimed.

The results of Karnataka Assembly elections held on May 12 for 222 of the 224 seats threw up a hung verdict with the BJP getting 104 seats, the Congress 78 and JD(S) 37.

BJP leader B S Yeddyurappa, who was sworn in as chief minister had resigned since he could not cobble up required support.

The Supreme Court had cut short 15 days time given by Governor Vajubhai Vala to Yeddyurappa to prove majority.

Subsequently, Kumaraswamy assumed the office as chief minister with the support of the Congress.