Bengaluru, May 17: BJP veteran and six-time legislator from Shikaripura, BS Yeddyurappa, was scheduled to be sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Karnataka at 9:00 am. The oath-taking ceremony was expected to take place at the Raj Bhawan.

Cadres of the JD(S) and Congress have launched a protest outside the Raj Bhawan. The two parties have accused Governor Vajubhai Vala of violating his constitutional duty by not allowing HD Kumaraswamy to form the government, "despite the support of 117 MLAs".

Watch Live Streaming of Yedyurappa's Oath-Taking Ceremony:

Senior Congress leader and veteran advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi petitioned the Supreme Court late on Wednesday, seeking an interim stay on the swearing-in of Yeddyurappa.

Contending with the urgency of the case, the Supreme Court heard his petition throughout the night, beginning from 1:45 am. At 4:45 am, the court ruled out imposing a stay on the interim order. The three-judge bench, however, said the petition has not been dismissed. The next date of hearing has been fixed on Friday.

Arguing before the court, Singhvi said the Governor should have invited Kumarswamy to form the government as he had the "written support of 117 MLAs".

Senior lawyer Mukul Rohatgi, arguing on behalf of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said past precedents have shown the Governor gives the first chance for government formation to the party which has secured maximum number of seats.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 17, 2018 09:01 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).