The Supreme Court on Tuesday began hearing a petition by 15 rebel MLAs from Karnataka. The lawmakers had resigned last week but speaker KR Ramesh Kumar is yet to take a decision. Arguing for the MLAs, senior lawyer Mukul Rohatgi told the court that they can’t be forced to attend the Karnataka assembly session. He said that “resignation can’t be mixed with disqualification.”

The HD Kumaraswamy government will face a trust vote in Karnataka seembly on Thursday. Senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah had said on Monday that the discussion on the vote of confidence will begin at 11 am on Thursday.

Mukul Rohatgi told the Supreme Court that since the trust vote is on Thursday the “game is to issue a new whip and argue that the Supreme Court order was limited to the previous whip.” “This govt is in minority and that’s simple maths,” he said.

Here are the highlights:

3:05 pm IST Supreme Court verdict on Karnataka rebel MLAs case tomorrow Supreme Court to pass order in Karnataka rebel MLAs case tomorrow at 10:30 am.





2:40 pm IST ‘Speaker can’t be compelled to decide issue in time bound manner,’ says Rajeev Dhavan Senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan for Kumaraswamy says the Speaker can’t be compelled to decide issue in time bound manner.





2:35 pm IST Rebel MLAs hunting in pack to destabilise government: Kumaraswamy Karnataka CM H D Kumaraswamy says rebel MLAs hunting in pack to destabilise government, they went to hotel together.





1:52 pm IST ‘You were silent on the resignations till the MLAs came to the Supreme Court... Why?’ Chief Justice Gogoi asked Chief Justice Gogoi shot back asking why wasn’t a decision taken when the MLAs went to the Speaker with their resignations, to which Singhvi replied that it was a written communication, and the Speaker was not available on that day.





11:55 am IST ‘No invalid reasons like “I hate politics” by MLAs,’ says Rohatgi Rohatgi takes out resignation letters of some MLAs, says letters specify they are “voluntarily” resigning for personal reasons. No invalid reasons like “I hate politics”, are given.





11:50 am IST ‘The Speaker can’t hold the resignation for so many days,’ says Mukul Rohatgi ‘The Speaker can’t hold the resignation for so many days. The rule states it has to be decided soon, says Mukul Rohatgi, representing 10 rebel MLAs, ANI reports.





11:45 am IST ‘The reason of resignation was internal,’ Congress MLA Ramalinga Reddy “I went to see doctor, it got delayed. Speakers’ office will call me, I will go today or tomorrow, whenever they call me. The reason of resignation was internal. I will have to come for the floor test, my resignation is not accepted ,” says Rebel Karnataka Congress MLA Ramalinga Reddy, report by ANI.





11:37 am IST Rohatgi says there is no proof that the Congress rebel MPs are joining BJP after resigning Rohatgi says there is no proof that the Congress rebel MPs are joining BJP after resigning. There is nothing to prove that the MLAs have conspired with the BJP, went on a dais to ask people to vote for the latter. This disqualification is only to scuttle their resignation. Unless speaker has credible material there is no question of enquiry.





11:32 am IST ‘If MLAs are disqualified then they have to wait for the by-election,’ says Rohatgi If I resign I can join other party and become a minister, Rohatgi admits before the court when CJI asks what would happen if he resigns. Rohatgi says if MLAs are disqualified then they have to wait for the by-election





11:30 am IST “This is an attempt to scuttle their resignations,” says Mukul Rohatgi Hearing in the matter of rebel Karnataka MLAs: Mukul Rohatgi, representing 10 rebel MLAs says, “This is an attempt to scuttle their resignations. The Speaker is trying to make a decision on both the issues-resignation and disqualification-at the same time.”





11:28 am IST “Karnataka Speaker has to accept resignation of MLAs,” says Rohatgi Karnataka Speaker has to accept resignation of MLAs, there is no other way to deal with it, says Mukul Rohatgi to SC.





11:26 am IST Resignation has to be decided on merits Resignation once moved has to be decided on merits notwithstanding pendency of disqualification proceeding, say rebel MLAs, PTI reports.





11:20 am IST “MLAs may be forced to follow whip despite resigning,” says Rohatgi There is vote of confidence in assembly and rebel MLAs may be forced to follow whip despite resigning, says Rohatgi, PTI reports.





11:09 am IST “I don’t want to be an MLA. Nobody can force me,” Mukul Rohatgi Hearing in the matter of rebel Karnataka MLAs: Mukul Rohatgi representing 10 rebel MLAs says, “I don’t want to be an MLA. Nobody can force me. My resignation must be accepted,” report by ANI.





11:05 am IST “Umesh Jadhav had resigned and his resignation was accepted,” Mukul Rohatgi Hearing in the matter of rebel Karnataka MLAs: Mukul Rohatgi submitted before SC, “Umesh Jadhav had resigned and his resignation was accepted,” report by ANI.





11:03 am IST “Accepting resignation and disqualification two distinct decisions”: Mukul Rohatgi Mukul Rohatgi, representing the rebel MLAs says, “all the ten petitioners (MLAs) resigned on July 10. The Speaker can take a decision if he wants, as there are two distinct decisions of accepting resignation and disqualification,” report by ANI.





11:00 am IST Hearing in the matter of rebel Karnataka MLAs begins in the Supreme Court SC has resumed hearing on pleas of 15 rebel MLAs of Congress and JD (S) seeking acceptance of their resignation.





10:30 am IST Kumaraswamy-led Janata Dal Secular-Congress coalition government to face its trust vote on Thursday Karnataka’s HD Kumaraswamy-led Janata Dal Secular-Congress coalition government will face its trust vote on Thursday at 11 am, as announced by Congress leader and former chief minister Siddaramaiah.





10:28 am IST The speaker will take decision on the resignations and disqualifications of the MLAs today The five lawmakers — Anand Singh, K Sudhakar, N Nagaraj, Munirathna and Roshan Baig — mentioned their application before a bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Deepak Gupta on Monday. The speaker will take decision on the resignations and disqualifications of the MLAs today





10: 24 am IST The 16 MLAs resigned between July 1 and 10 The 16 MLAs resigned between July 1 and 10. Fifteen of the MLAs are staying at a hotel in Mumbai, but speaker KR Ramesh Kumar is yet to take a final call on accepting their resignation.





10:00 am IST BJP will form govt in 4-5 days: Yeddyurappa BJP’s Karnataka unit chief B S Yeddyurappa said he was confident of forming the government in the next four to five days. The Congress-JDS coalition government faces uncertainty over its numbers.



