Bengaluru, Dec 19: Former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Saturday challenged Congress leader Siddaramaiah to build a regional party and win at least 10 seats on his own strength before criticising JD(S) and his leadership abilities.

In a series of tweets, he also hit back at Siddaramaiah for alleging that there was an "internal understanding" between BJP and JD(S).

"I have a challenge for Siddaramaiah, who repeatedly criticises about the number of seats JD(S) could win, about Deve Gowda (JDS supremo) and me.

Come out of the shelter of the national party, build a regional party and win at least 10 seats on your own strength... then speak about our leadership," he tweeted.

"...don't speak lightly about the number of seats JD(S) has won.

Building an independent regional party requires leadership. You are not aware of the efforts that are required for it. It is not possible from you," he added.

Kumaraswamy was reacting to Siddaramaiah's statement in Mysuru on Friday that the former could become CM as Congress agreed to give him the post despite JD(S) winning just 37 seats after the 2018 assembly polls.

The Congress leader had hit out at Kumaraswamy for the collapse of the coalition government last year, alleging that he tried to run the administration from a five star hotel and could not keep his MLAs together.

Kumaraswamy alleged that Siddaramaiah had planned to bring down the coalition government months after it was formed and that most congress legislators who defected to the BJP, eventually leading to the party coming to power, were his loyalists.

On the charges of running the administration out of a five star hotel, the JD(S) leader noted that Siddaramaiah had 'shamelessly' not vacated his official residence after the 2018 loss.

"Does Siddaramaiah have the moral right to speak about me..I used to work at the office till 12 in the night while he used to go to undisclosed locations after 6 pm during his tenure."

Siddaramaiah on Friday had also blamed a section within Congress for his defeat in Chamundeshwari assembly constituency in the 2018 assembly elections and asked those who had worked against the party during the polls to introspect and quit.

To this, Kumaraswamy accused Siddaramaiah of having had an internal understanding with opponents to get some of his own Congress leaders defeated in some previous elections as he feared getting sidelined within the party.

"If he (Siddaramaiah) introspects rightly, he will have to quit Congress," he said.

With no party getting a clear majority in the 2018 assembly polls, Congress-JD(S) that had fought against each during the election joined hands to form a government with Kumaraswamy as Chief Minister to keep the BJP out of power.

However following the rout in Lok Sabha polls, internal differences cropped up and the rebellion by some MLAs led to collapse of the coalition government last year.

Since then Congress and JD(S) leaders have been blaming each other for it.

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New Delhi (PTI): The government has promulgated an ordinance to increase the strength of the Supreme Court from the present 34 judges to 38, including the Chief Justice of India.

The law ministry notified the ordinance on Saturday, which amended the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956, to increase the sanctioned strength of the top court.

So far, the sanctioned strength of the top court was 34, including the Chief Justice of India (CJI). Now, the number of judges has been increased by four, taking the sanctioned strength to 38.

The top court will now have 37 judges, other than the CJI.

With the apex court having two vacancies at present, and the ordinance coming into force immediately, the Supreme Court Collegium will now have to recommend six names for appointment as judges in the top court.

A bill will be brought in the Monsoon Session of Parliament to convert the ordinance – an executive order – into a law passed by Parliament.

The Union Cabinet had cleared a draft bill on May 5 to increase the number of apex court judges.

The strength of the Supreme Court was last increased from 30 to 33 (excluding the CJI) in 2019.

The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, as originally enacted in 1956, put the maximum number of judges (excluding the CJI) at 10.

This number was increased to 13 by the Supreme Court (Number of Judges), Amendment Act, 1960, and to 17 by another amendment to the law.

The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Act, 1986, augmented the strength of judges from 17 to 25, excluding the CJI.

A fresh amendment in 2009 further increased the strength from 25 to 30.

Article 124(3) of the Constitution lists the qualifications required to become a Supreme Court judge.

An Indian citizen who has either served as a high court judge for at least five years, or as an advocate for 10 years, or is a distinguished jurist, can be appointed to the top court.

The strength of the Supreme Court is increased based on the recommendations of the CJI, who writes to the Union law minister. After consulting the finance ministry, the Department of Justice under the law ministry moves the Cabinet with a draft bill.