With the Supreme Court seemingly clearing the decks for floor test in Uttarakhand Vidhan Sabha, the BJP has intensified its efforts to woo MlAs belonging to the rival Congress.
As for now, their focus is fixed on the PDF, the Congress ally having six MlAs, the number proving crucial for both the warring sides to win the test on the floor of the Assembly.
To be more precise, the BJP has been assiduously scouting for two BSP MlAs who are part of the PDF. Intriguingly, a State BJP satrap who is also an ex-Chief Minister is in the forefront of the wooing game to wreck the Congress. This despite the fact that he is not in the race of the chief ministership. Party insiders say that he is out to prove that he is indispensable for the party when it comes to breaking the Congress.
Floor test seeming imminent, a worried BJP sent two of its senior leaders - Vijayvargiya and Anil Baluni to Raj Bhawan late Tuesday night to humour it. However, the Raj Bhawan is learnt to have remained cool to the party's overtures.
"It is obvious that the BJP would want the floor test to be held on the equations that prevailed on March 18 - the day on which they along with nine Congress lawmakers demanded division of votes on the appropriation Bill. In case the nine rebels are allowed to vote by the court despite their being disqualified by the Speaker it would be advantage BJP, thanks to the numerical strength of both the groups. However, things might turn fluid any time as the nine MlAs who broke ranks might return to the Congress folds if the party's top brass decides to humour them to fall in line to turn the table on the BJP. Politics being known for the imponderables, nothing can be taken for granted," an observer said.
Sources said that if the Speaker's order disqualifying nine Congress MlAs and retaining the membership of the suspended BJP MlA Bhim lal Arya is annulled by the court, things are likely to turn more fluid.
Though the BJP is leaving no stone unturned to keep the nine Congress MlAs under its sway and to ensure that they vote during the upcoming floor test the party's brass is firming up an alternative plan to defeat Harish Rawat sans the nine dissidents.
Talking to The Pioneer, a senior BJP leader said they had managed to convince four MlAs from the Congress side to switch to their party. "If it happens we would touch the magic figure 31 in the 61-MlA House," he said confidently.
If the apex court upholds the Speaker's order the strength of the House would be reduced to 62, including the one nominated MlA from the Anglo-Indian community. Currently, the Congress has 28 MlAs if the nominated MlA is included. Besides, they have the support of the PDF which has six MlAs. The BJP, on the other hand, has 28 MlAs, including Bhim lal Arya.
Things are turning extremely interesting. As per the convention, the Speaker would not vote during the floor test unless things result in a tie. The BJP knows it would have to bring 31 MlAs to its side to beat Harish Rawat in terms of number. However, supposing this happens it is still uncertain whether the saffron party would move to form its Government or would recommend dissolution of the Assembly to pave way for fresh election.