The Uttarakhand High Court’s ruling has left the Centre undaunted. The BJP-led central government will exploit the last legal remedy available to them before approaching the Supreme Court.
Senior ministers Rajnath Singh and Arun Jaitley met at party chief Amit Shah’s house. Also present at the meeting were Attorney-General Mukul Rohatgi, Nripendra Mishra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister and Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi. It was decided during the meeting that verdict would be challenged.
Sources said that there were enough grounds to challenge the Uttarakhand High Court’s order.
BJP sources admitted to The New Indian Express that Harish Rawat would have the advantage if he won the floor test, scheduled for 29 April, given that the next elections are only a few months away.
Both parties now have an equal number of MLAs after the disqualification of nine rebel Congress MLAs. There are six other MLAs and one nominated.
The BJP top brass went into a huddle soon after the high vourt verdict to strategise on how to deal with the fresh “crisis”
The Centre will tell the Supreme Court that the failure of the Assembly to approve the Appropriation Bill and the “arbitrary” disqualification of nine rebel Congress MLAs are some grounds on which President’s rule may be imposed in the state.
We are not surprised by the judgment. With the kind of observations being made for the three days by the court, such an order was expected. There is a question in our mind as Chief Minister Rawat, who was caught in a sting, has been given relief by the court. The Harish Rawat government was in a minority yesterday, it is in a minority today and tomorrow. It will be proved on 29 April.Vijayvargiya, BJP General Secretary
Meanwhile, the Congress has submitted a notice in the Rajya Sabha, saying the BJP should be condemned for the state of affairs in Uttarakhand.