SC Refuses To Urgently List Plea Of 2 Independent Karnataka MLAs Seeking Floor Test Forthwith

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to urgently list a plea of two Independent Karnataka MLAs seeking holding of floor test forthwith, but said it may consider listing of the petition Tuesday. A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said, "Impossible. We have never done this before. Tomorrow we may see to it." The bench's remarks came when senior advocate Mukul Rohtagi, appearing for the two legislators -- R Shankar and H Nagesh, said he has filed a new petition in the Karnataka matter and seeks its urgent listing. Rohatgi said the floor test is being delayed on one pretext or the other. He said when the Congress-JD(S) coalition can take orders for holding of floor test earlier, and then same order can be issued now. To this the bench said, "We will see tomorrow." The two MLAs, who withdrew support to the Congress-JD(S) government in Karnataka, moved the top court seeking a direction for conducting a floor test forthwith in the state Assembly. They said that the state has plunged into a political crisis after they withdrew their support to the government and 16 lawmakers of the ruling coalition tendered their resignations. With the 15 rebels, including 12 of the Congress and 3 of the JD-S deciding not to attend the session and two Congress legislators (B. Nagendra and Srimant Patil) being in a Bengaluru and Mumbai private hospitals, the strength of the allies will be 99 (65 out of 79 of Congress plus 34 out of 37 of JD-S), including the Speaker (from Congress) in the 225-member Assembly.