Uttarakhand Floor Test Concludes, Results in SC Tomorrow
Ousted Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat would attempt to secure a majority in a floor test starting at 11 am.
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The floor test in the Uttarakhand Assembly concluded at 12 pm. Harish Rawat may have secured a majority, according to PTI. The BJP said only 28 MLAs voted for them in the 61-member House. Official results will be declared on Wednesday.
Ganesh Joshi of BJP claimed that it was a victory for BJP constitutionally because nine MLAs of Congress had voted for the BJP in the past and now one more MLA has voted for BJP. He claimed that everyone saw how Congress tried to buy votes which explains why BJP “lagged behind in numbers.”
Harish Rawat refused to comment on the results of the floor test, but hinted at an imminent victory.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal called the floor test a huge setback for BJP.
The floor test was brought up in the Rajya Sabha session of 10 May. Both BJP and Congress leaders commented on it.
Anand Sharma said that now that the legislators had voted, the verdict was very clear.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley referred to the nine disqualified MLAs in the Rajya Sabha.
Meanwhile, celebrations began outside Harish Rawat’s house as he addressed supporters.
Ousted Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat appeared in the House on 10 May for a confidence vote. Uttarakhand also saw suspension of President’s rule for two and a half hours between 10:30 am to 1 pm. Section 144 was imposed in the state on 9 May, 4 pm onwards, prohibiting the use of mobile phones.
The Supreme Court had appointed Principal Secretary Jaidev Singh as the overseer for the floor test. Following the vote, the results would be submitted to the court on Wednesday at 10:30 am in a sealed cover.
Ahead of the floor test at 11 am, former state parliamentary affairs minister Indira Hridayesh expressed confidence in securing a majority.
Mayawati Declares Support for Congress
Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) leader Mayawati declared support for Congress and said:
Congress’ Preparations Ahead of the Assembly
In a statement to CNN News18, Congress’ Ghulam Nabi Azad, calling BJP “a perpetual poacher”, said he is confident of his party’s victory in the test.
The Assembly consisted of a total of 70 members, a number brought down to 61 with the dismissal of nine rebel MLAs. Harish Rawat had to gain support of 31 members, of which 27 were Congress lawmakers. The party claimed it had the backing of six-member PDF, to make the ruling side’s figure of 33.
The 27 Congress lawmakers included Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal who would vote only in the case of a tie. Other lawmakers included MLA Harish Chandra Durgapal who claimed that all six PDF (two BSP, 1 UKD and three Independents) members voted for Rawat.. Also, BJP rebel MLA Bhim Lal Arya joined Congress before the floor test began.
Before the floor test, Congress had put its lawmakers in a resort in Mussoorie, anxious of BJP’s attempts to influence or coerce them.
BJP’s Position in the Floor Test
BJP had a total of 28 lawmakers in the assembly, after the dismissal of the nine rebel Congress MLAs. This dismissal made it easier for Rawat to secure votes in the floor test.
Congress’s Rekha Arya, who the party had been unable to contact since 9 May, crossed over to BJP on 10 May. This isn’t the first time Rekha Arya has switched sides during a crucial voting scenario.
Ahead of assembly bypoll to three seats in Uttarakhand, slated for July 2014, the then BJP leader leader from Someshwar, Rekha Arya, had switched over to the Congress.
BJP’s Ajay Bhatt commented before the floor test that he is confident the MLAs would listen to the voice of their conscience.
Uttarakhand Crisis and President’s Rule
Uttarakhand has been under President’s rule since 27 March, following a sting operation video released against former Chief Minister Harish Rawat. The video shows Rawat attempting to bribe MLAs.
The operation was carried out by nine rebel disqualified Congress MLAs. On 9 May, the Supreme Court dismissed their plea, barring them from participating in the floor test. The verdict was in response to a petition the MLAs had filed to the High Court regarding their disqualification.
Disqualified MLAs Not Allowed in the House
Once the High Court had dismissed the plea, the MLAs moved the Supreme Court and demanded an urgent hearing. The Supreme Court upheld High Court’s decision and dismissed the MLAs. The MLAs had been initially disqualified for joining hands with the BJP during proceedings on the Appropriation Bill on 18 March.
In accordance with the Supreme Court’s order, the disqualified MLAs was not allowed to enter the House while the assembly was in progress.
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