With the Harish Rawat-led regime in Uttarakhand in crisis, the ruling Congress on Saturday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah of trying to destabilise non-BJP Governments through lure of money and political power. The BJP, for its part, asserted it has a majority in Uttarakhand Assembly now and should be invited to form the Government as the incumbent Congress dispensation has been reduced to a minority.
Congress spokesman Randeep Surjewala said the party is not scared by the conspiracy and would deliberate on all legal, political and constitutional steps to shake off the challenge to the Government.
The four-year old Congress Government is under threat with nine rebel Congress MlAs raising the banner of revolt and reportedly joining the BJP, which has staked claim to form the Government in Uttarakhand. The rebel Congress MlAs were mostly those owing allegiance to former Chief Minister and MlA Vijay Bahuguna.
“The duo of Modi and Shah are infamous for forcible eviction of elected Governments in this country. Elected Governments are being destabilised by a sinister conspiracy. After Arunachal Pradesh, it is Uttarakhand,” Surjewala alleged.
He said the BJP was resorting to such actions in the backdrop of poll debacle in Delhi followed by Bihar which has “convinced” the ruling party at the Centre that it would not come to power in any State through popular vote. “Is this the Modi culture of politics of transparency and accountability to lure away legislators...bypassing all constitutional normsIJ” Surjewala said.
A three-member BJP delegation of former Chief Minister and MP Bhagat Singh Koshiyari, Shyam Jaju, the State in-charge of party, and general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya met Uttarakhand Governor KK Paul late on Friday night after the Congress MlAs revolted against the incumbent Government. The nine rebel Congress MlAs have arrived in Delhi and are in touch with BJP leaders. The Governor has asked Harish Rawat to face the floor test on March 28.
“The Harish Rawat Government has lost majority. Today BJP has the numbers with the support of rebel Congress MlAs to form a new Government in Uttarakhand,” Jaju said. He added the party is willing to present the MlAs whose support it enjoys before President Pranab Mukherjee and insisted that Rawat should immediately resign given the loss of majority.
The rebel MlAs included, Congress has a strength of 36 MlAs in the 70-member Assembly. The ruling party also has the support of six members of the Progressive Democratic Front. The BJP has 28 MlAs.
Amidst chaos in the Uttarakhand Assembly on Friday, the nine Congress rebels had joined the BJP members in demanding a division of votes on the State’s annual budget, which could have led to the Government’s fall. Congress MlA from Rudraprayag, Harak Singh Rawat claimed the finance Bill in connection with the budget had fallen, thus giving clear indication that the ruling party has been reduced to a minority with 35 votes against the budget and 32 in its favour.