It looks Uttarakhand result are on the expected lines with deposed Congress Chief Minister Harish Rawat been able to garner the numbers he wanted to regain his seat. If the results turn on these lines no doubt it will end the controversy over the proclamation of President’s rule in the State but would have some disturbing moments for BJP. Literally will be a floor test for BJP as Assembly polls are on in some states and some are in queue to elect new governments. The disqualification of nine Congress MLAs by the Speaker and the Apex Court ruling their exclusion had actually helped Rawat consolidate the number he was looking at. The High Court verdict also negated Centre’s stand that there was breakdown of constitutional machinery as a plea. The move could be seen as BJP wanted to go to Assembly polls with a victory wrested in Uttarakhand and diminishing Congress existence. But now it looks the move has backfired. If the results go in Rawat government’s favour it will be a constitutional victory. In the current scenario, if the numbers remain constant the Harish Rawat camp has 34 members out of the 62 members eligible for voting in the Uttarakhand Assembly. Before dissolving Rawat government Governor should have carried out a floor test to determine the legitimacy of the state government. The outcome of the floor tests would be a big slap on the BJP politics of carrying the ‘Congress-free India agenda’. Nine Congress MLAs had been disqualified by the Speaker under the anti-defection law. BJP argued that the Appropriations Bill was passed without a division of votes, the Chief Minister argues that it was constitutionally passed. But either way, the Court stressed, there was no basis for the Centre to intervene on the day before the Rawat government was to prove its majority. Uttarakhand floor test outcome is a huge setback to Modi Govt and hope they will stop toppling non-BJP governments.
