December 14, 2024 11:31 (IST)
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Uttarakhand crisis: BJP state lawmakers meet President
New Delhi, Mar 21 (IBNS): About 28 state legislators from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) met President Pranab Mukherjee in New Delhi on Monday in a pitch to form government in Uttarakhand.
However, the rebel Congress law-makers, who are supporting the BJP to replace the government of Chief Minister Harish Rawat, did not attend the meeting.
Reports said the Congress legislators, who have rebelled against the leadership of Chief Minister Harish Rawat, are at an undisclosed location.
The Uttarakhand Speaker has, at the behest of the Congress, issued notices against them for defection and they have to reply by Saturday.
Chief Minister Harish Rawat - who has been asked by Uttarakhand Governor KK Paul to prove his majority on the floor of the assembly before Monday, March 28 - is now engaged in hectic efforts to gather and secure his flock of lawmakers.
Earlier on Monday, former chief minister and rebel Congress leader Vijay Bahuguna son Saket Bahuguna has been expelled from Congress for 6 years.
Reports said Anil Gupta, general secretary and close aide of Saket Bahuguna was also expelled from the party.
The Congress has 36 lawmakers in the 70-member Assembly, only one more than the halfway mark needed for a majority. It also has the support of six members of the Progressive Democratic Front. The BJP has 28 lawmakers.
The loss of nine lawmakers will reduce the Congress government to a minority. But if less than two-thirds or in this case 24 Congress lawmakers split from the party, they can be disqualified under anti-defection laws.
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi has accused the BJP of destabilising the Rawat government. "Toppling elected Govts by indulging in horse trading & blatant misuse of money & muscle, seems to be BJP's new model, after failure in Bihar," Mr Gandhi tweeted.
"This attack on our democracy & Constitution, first in Arunachal & now Uttarakhand, is the true face of Modiji's BJP. Congress Party will fight demagoguery with democracy," the Congress vice president said.
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