Sacked Chief Minister Harish Rawat on Tuesday appeared to have clinched the numbers in the floor test in the Uttarakhand Assembly with 33 of the 61 MlAs reported to have voted for him. However, the Supreme Court will declare the results of the floor test on Wednesday after the report on vote counts is given to the court in a sealed envelope.
With the nine disqualified Congress MlAs kept away, Congress MlA Rita Arya claimed that 33 MlAs voted for Rawat, while BJP MlAs conceded that their side got only 28 votes in a House with an effective strength of 61. “The cloud of uncertainty hovering over Uttarakhand will disappear tomorrow,” said an elated Rawat after the votes were counted in the Assembly under the Supreme Court-monitored proceedings.
Earlier in the day, the two BSP MlAs — Sarbat Karim Ansari and Haridass — kept the suspense as they didn't turn up till 10.15 am. The local media was abuzz with speculation about the duo abstaining from the trust vote. However, the suspense ended as the two MlAs arrived at the entrance of the security enclosure, accompanied by the confidante of the former CM Nandan Singh Ghughtyal. It was then that Harish Rawat and his crisis managers, like Yashpal Arya, heaved a sigh of relief.
Both sides claimed that one MlA from each side had cross voted. Independent MlA Harish Chandra Durgapal claimed that all six PDF (two BSP, one UKD and three Independents) members have voted for Rawat. BJP's Bhimlal Arya's vote also went to the Congress. likewise, Rekha Arya of the Congress voted for the rival side, he said.
The BJP’s Ganesh Joshi claimed that it was a victory for his party constitutionally because nine MlAs of the Congress had voted for the BJP in the past and now one more MlA has voted for the BJP. Everyone saw how the Congress tried to buy votes with money and “that is why we were left behind in numbers in the Assembly,” he said.
Principal Secretary (legislative Assembly and Parliamentary Affairs) of the Uttarakhand Government oversaw the conduct of the floor test for which President's Rule was kept in abeyance for two-and-a-half hours from 10.30 am. Ahead of the floor test, Rawat sporting a 'tilak' exuded confidence that he would comfortably win.
“The people are with us. The Gods — Kedarnath, Gangotri, Yamunotri, Badrinath — are with us. We are all together. The people who are supporting us, we have their blessings. The BJP can claim anything they want, winner will be Uttarakhand,” he said outside the Assembly.
leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Ajay Bhatt said he was confident that the MlAs will listen to the voice of their conscience. “On March 18 when the trouble erupted in the House, some members joined hands with us hearing the voice of their conscience. Today also some MlAs will pay heed to the voice of their conscience and join us,” he said.
Congress leader Ambika Soni said, “We have the numbers and will win the floor test without any difficulty.” She also alleged that huge amounts had been offered by the opposite side to lure legislators “on our side”.
The trust vote came a day after the High Court on Monday dismissed the petition of the nine Congress MlAs challenging their disqualification and the Supreme Court refusing to give any relief
to them.