HC orders floor test in Uttarakhand tomorrow

All MLAs, including the nine ruling Congress rebels, can participate in the trial of strength but the votes of the disqualified legislators will be kept separate. 

They will be taken into account subject to final outcome of the writ filed petition by Chief Minister Harish Rawat challenging the imposition of President’s Rule, senior Supreme Court lawyer and Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi told reporters after the second day of the hearing here. 

The High Court ordered the DGP to ensure security in the Assembly when the floor test is carried out.  Rawat, whose government was sacked on Sunday on the grounds of “breakdown of Constitutional machinery”, had moved the court on Monday, calling the Centre’s decision as “arbitrary” and demanded its quashing. 

Singhvi said the court accepted Congress position that despite the President’s Rule, there is enough scope for judicial review to allow a floor test, which was sought by it. He said Governor K K Paul too had directed holding of the floor test on March 28 and Rawat had also made the same demand twice. 

“Now only the date has changed from March 28 to March 31,” Singhvi said. He said mere allegations of horse-trading cannot justify the imposition of President’s Rule and stop a floor test. The Centre had imposed the President’s Rule just a day ahead of the date (March 28) fixed for the floor test. 

On the question of disqualification of 9 rebel Congress MLAs, Singhvi said the court did not set it aside and a final decision on it will come later.