Photos: Midnight courtroom drama fails to stall Yeddyurappa as Karnataka CM

BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa was sworn in as Karnataka’s new chief minister on Thursday morning after the Supreme Court refused to stay the oath-taking ceremony in a rare late-night hearing. The Congress and Janata Dal (S) had petitioned the top court late on Wednesday night in a bid to stall the BJP from forming government. Karnataka governor Vajubhai Vala on Wednesday invited the BJP to form the next state government and asked Yeddyurappa to take over the chief minister’s post by proving his majority in the legislative assembly in 15 days. ...read more

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Abhishek Manu Singhvi arrives at Supreme Court for the hearing of a Congress and JD(S) petition challenging the Karnataka Governor’s decision. “The BJP has only 104 MLAs, the Governor invited Yeddyurappa to form government in an unconstitutional manner,” senior counsel Singhvi, who appeared for the Congress, told the three-member bench of Justices A.K. Sikri, S.A. Bobde and Ashok Bhushan, during a midnight hearing. (Arvind Yadav / HT Photo)

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Mukul Rohatgi, arguing in the Karnataka case for BJP MLAs, opposed the Congress-JD(S) plea saying this was not a Yakub Memon hanging situation which deserved a midnight hearing. Stressing that no injunction can be issued in the case, he said the President and the Governor are not answerable to any court and the court should not stop a constitutional functionary from discharging official duties. (Ravi Choudhary / PTI)

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Yeddyruppa took oath as planned but on Friday when the apex court hears the matter again, he will have to produce the two letters dated May 15 and 16 he has written to Governor Vajubhai Vala to stake his claim for government formation. (Arijit Sen / HT Photo)

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While the BJP celebrated, Congress leaders reached Vidhan Soudha, holding a protest at Mahatma Gandhi’s statue against BS Yeddyurappa’s swearing in. Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ashok Gehlot, Mallikarjun Kharge, KC Venugopal and Siddaramaiah were among those present. (Arijit Sen / HT Photo)

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Supporters of Indian Youth Congress protest against the BJP over the Karnataka election issue at Raisina Road, in New Delhi. The top court also issued notices to the Karnataka government and Yeddyurappa seeking their replies on the plea filed by the Congress-JD(S) combine and posted the matter for hearing on Friday. (Sanchit Khanna / HT Photo)

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HD Kumaraswamy (C), Janata Dal (S) leader and former chief minister of Karnataka, speaks with the media after handing over a letter of support from elected legislators to the governor in Bengaluru on May 16, 2018. Kumaraswamy accused the BJP of trying to bribe Karnataka lawmakers after election results in the state threw up a hung house. (Arijit Sen/HT Photo)

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JD(S) President HD Kumaraswamy greets KPCC President G Parameshwara after meeting with Governor to stake claim to form the coalition government in the state on Wednesday. The BJP emerged as the largest party and the Congress was voted out of power on Tuesday. But the political situation changed when the Congress and JD(S) announced a surprise alliance. (Shailendra Bhojak / PTI)

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A bus waits to ferry MLAs in front of KPCC office in Bengaluru on Wednesday. Earlier in the day, the three parties alleged that there were efforts on to buy legislators. The BJP, the JD(S) and the Congress, all bussed their legislators away to resorts for safe-keeping. (PTI)