Uttarakhand HC schedules Harish Rawat's trial of strength for March 31

All MLAs, including the nine Congress rebels, can participate in the floor test, but votes of the disqualified MLAs will be counted pending writ

Nainital: The Uttarakhand High Court yesterday ordered a floor test in the Assembly on March 31, giving a new turn to the political events in the state where President’s Rule was imposed on Sunday.

Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat showing a copy of his government’s budget in Dehradun on Tuesday. Pic/PTI

All MLAs, including the nine ruling Congress rebels, can participate in the trial of strength but the votes of the disqualified legislators will be kept separate. They will be taken into account subject to final outcome of the writ petition filed by Chief Minister Harish Rawat challenging the imposition of President’s Rule, senior Supreme Court lawyer and Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said after the second day of the hearing here.

During the two-day hearing, Singhvi sought revocation of President’s Rule and restoration of Rawat’s government, terming the Centre’s decision as a "brazen display of high-handedness and authoritarianism.".

Questioning the timing of the move, which came just a day before Harish Rawat government was to go for a floor test, he said it was meant to sabotage the Constitutional process.

Meanwhile, arguing on behalf of the Centre in the court yesterday, Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said there was enough ground for imposition of President’s rule in the state in view of the failure of the constitutional machinery.

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