Karnataka crisis: Kumaraswamy must quit tomorrow, says Yeddyurappa after Supreme Court order on rebel MLAs

Karnataka BJP chief BS Yeddyurappa has said that the Supreme Court ruling on the rebel MLAs of the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition is a “victory of constitution and democracy”.

“Karnataka CM has lost his mandate, when there is no majority he must resign tomorrow. I welcome Supreme Court’s decision, it’s the victory of constitution and democracy, a moral victory for rebel MLAs,” Yeddyurappa was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

In a hearing on Wednesday, the Supreme Court said that the rebel MLAs cannot be compelled to attend the trust vote in the Karnataka Assembly on Thursday.

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The court said it was the discretion of speaker KR Ramesh Kumar to decide either the disqualification or resignation of the MLAs.

The Congress-JD(S) was plunged into political uncertainty after 16 MLAs — 13 from the Congress and three from JD(S) — quit in the last two weeks. The speaker is yet to accept the resignations.

Just after the top court ruling on Wednesday, speaker Ramesh Kumar said the court has entrusted additional responsibility on him. “I will act in a manner that upholds this trust and the Constitutional responsibility entrusted to me,” he told reporters in Bengaluru.