Live updates: SC hearing on Cong-JD(S) plea

Today’s Supreme Court order, vindicates our stand that Governor Vala acted unconstitutionally. The BJP’s bluff t… https://t.co/CItPzKv8vl — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) 1526626346000

We welcome the Supreme Court's order. We will prove majority on the floor of the House tomorrow, we are ready for f… https://t.co/SKgf7Fs83Y — ANI (@ANI) 1526624509000

NEW DELHI: Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday said the Supreme Court's order to conduct a floor test in the Karnataka assembly had "vindicated" his party's claim that governor Vajubhai Vala acted unconstitutionally in inviting BJP 's B S Yeddyurappa to take oath as the chief minister.Taking to Twitter to hail the SC ruling, Rahul said the BJP's bluff that it has the bench strength to form government in the state will now be exposed for everyone to see."Today’s Supreme Court order, vindicates our stand that Governor Vala acted unconstitutionally. The BJP’s bluff that it will form the government, even without the numbers, has been called out by the court," he tweeted."Stopped legally, they will now try money and muscle, to steal the mandate," he charged.The Gandhi scion was alleging that the BJP will now resort to underhand means -- essentially horse-trading and threats -- to manufacture a majority in the House.A three-judge bench of the apex court has ordered that a floor test be held in the Karnataka Assembly at 4 pm on Saturday to determine whether newly-appointed BJP chief minister Yeddyurappa has majority in the state.Meanwhile, Karnataka BJP leader Shobha Karandlaje exuded confidence that Yeddyurappa would prove his majority in the assembly with the support of over 120 MLAs."The Supreme Court has ordered to prove majority in the assembly tomorrow at 4 pm. BJP welcomes this. We are confident that tomorrow at 4 pm BJP legislators and those supporting it will prove majority," she said.In the Karnataka assembly election held on May 12, BJP emerged as the single largest party winning 104 seats, but fell short of a simple majority. The Congress and JD(S), which won 78 and 37 seats respectively, swiftly forged a post-poll alliance and claimed they had the numbers to form the government.With the prospect of a hung assembly looming, governor Vajubhai Vala invited the BJP to form government, a decision which the Congress described as "murder of democracy and trampling of the Constitution". The Congress-JD(S) then approached the Supreme Court with a petition seeking a stay on the governor's order. However, the SC cleared the way for Yeddyurappa's swearing-in while making it clear that government formation would be subject to its final ruling on the matter.Read this story in Marathi