Congress to seek legal opinion on voting by nine rebel MLAs

HOWEVER, THE REBEL CONGRESS LEGISLATORS ARE UNSURE IF THEY WILL ALIGN WITH BJP IN THE CHANGED SITUATION

NEW DELHI/DEHRADUN: The Congress will seek legal opinion on the issue of allowing the nine rebel legislators to vote in the March 31 floor test in Uttarakhand to seek clarity on the high court order.

Welcoming the court order, party general secretary Ambika Soni said the Congress failed to understand how the rebel legislators could vote since they were disqualified and cannot enter the assembly.

Soni, in- charge of party affairs in Uttarakhand, said there had been no voting on the floor test outside the house until now. “Besides, the Speaker cannot allow entry of non-members in the house of representatives as per the rules.”

On the other hand, the BJP said it will challenge the court’s order directing the Congress to prove its majority in the assembly. “We will challenge the order either before the double bench of the high court or in the Supreme Court on the plea that many aspects in the ruling are unclear,” BJP leader and former speaker Prakash Pant told HT.

He said there is no clarity on how the floor test could be conducted when the state is under President’s Rule. “How will the floor test be legally possible when the court has not issued directions recommending revocation of President’s Rule? Consequently, the assembly is in suspended animation,” Pant said. However, the rebel Congress legislators are not sure if they will align with BJP in the changed situation, maintaining they will continue to oppose Harish Rawat on the floor of the house.

“From day one, we have been saying that we are not against the party but against the Rawat government. But that does not mean we’re supporting BJP,” said MLA Umesh Sharma, who did not disclose his whereabouts.

Another rebel legislator said the main challenge for them was to “keep the flock together” as the Congress might try to create division in their ranks.