MP Floor Test: Supreme Court Adjourns Hearing To Tomorrow

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday adjourned hearing in a petition filed by former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan and 9 other MLAs seeking a floor test of the Kamal Nath government, to Thursday. Counsel for the petitioners pressed for an immediate hearing citing the examples of Maharashtra, Karnataka and other states. Appearing for the Assembly Speaker, Dr AM Singhvi said that he did not want the powers or decision of the Speaker to be curtailed. He said that he would convey the decision of the Speaker on the floor test to the apex court on Thursday.

Kapil Sibal arguing for Chief Minister Kamal Nath, pointed out that access to the rebel MLAs was being denied to the Chief Minister. To this the Court responded saying this was not a case of a parent's visitation rights.

Counsel for the rebel MLAs, Mukul Rohatgi remarked that they are willing to meet the judges in their chambers or that the Registrar-General of the Karnataka High Court could meet the MLAs in the hotel, video-graph the entire proceedings and submit them to the court. The apex court rejected both the proposals and is scheduled to hear the matter tomorrow. It may take a decision on the issue on Thursday.

Earlier in the day, former MP chief minister Digvijay Singh addressed the media in Bengaluru along with the President of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) and accused the BJP government in Karnataka of using the police and money bags to hold the rebel MLAs captive in the hotel. He wondered under what law he was stopped from meeting guests of the hotel. Digvijay Singh further said that if the guests in question did not wish to meet him, they could stay put in their rooms.