New Delhi: The Nainital High Court will pronounce its verdict on the disqualification of 9 Congress rebel MLAs today, just a day before the floor test in the Uttarakhand Assembly which will decide the fate of ousted CM Harish Rawat.
The High Court had on Saturday reserved its order on a petition of the rebel Congress MLAs challenging their disqualification by state Assembly Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal. After hearing concluding arguments from both sides for more than 2 hours, Justice UC Dhayani said the verdict will be pronounced at 10:15 am on May 9.
The 9 rebel Congress MLAs, who were disqualified by the Speaker on March 27, had filed petitions in the High Court challenging the Speaker’s action against them. The MLAs had moved the High Court on two grounds that they were not given enough time by the Speaker to respond to the charges, and that they were not provided ‘proof’ of their alleged anti-party activity.
Also Read: Fresh 'sting video' claims 12 Cong MLAs paid Rs 25 lakh each by Harish Rawat
All the 9 MLAs were disqualified from the assembly under the anti-defection law but eight of them have challenged the Speaker’s decision in the court.
Today’s judgment on the status of 9 MLAs will assume significance as far as the floor test, ordered by the Supreme Court on May 10, is concerned. At present, in the 70-member Assembly, BJP has 28 MLAs, Congress has 27, BSP has 02, while there are three independent MLAs and one belongs to Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (P) lawmaker. Nine MLAs are Congress rebels and one is a BJP rebel.
If the rebels are disqualified, the House strength comes down to 61. The Congress, with 27 legislators, may then win the trust vote if the six MLAs from smaller parties and independents back it. The BJP has 28 MLAs.
PTI reported that both the Congress and BJP have issued whips to their MLAs. The MLAs are being informed through email, texts and letters.
Meanwhile, a video of a new sting operation allegedly showing a Congress legislator talking of bribe to at least a dozen party MLAs to keep them on Harish Rawat's side has surfaced. The sting allegedly shows Congress MLA Madan Singh Bisht admitting to payment of Rs 25 lakh each to 12 legislators. It has been done by a news channel that earlier released a video clip allegedly showing Rawat indulging in horse-trading.
The Harish Rawat government was dismissed by the Centre under Article 356 of the Constitution on March 27 after the Uttarakhand Assembly failed to pass the Appropriations Bill and 9 Congress MLAs, led by former chief minister Vijay Bahuguna, revolted against Rawat.
