This Article is From Mar 29, 2016

Congress To Seek Legal Opinion On Rebels On Uttarakhand Verdict

Congress To Seek Legal Opinion On Rebels On Uttarakhand Verdict

9 Uttarakhand Congress legislators had rebelled against Chief Minister Harish Rawat. (File Photo)

New Delhi: Congress will seek legal opinion on the issue of allowing the nine rebel party lawmakers to vote in the March 31 floor test in Uttarakhand to seek clarity on the High Court order.

Welcoming the court order, party General Secretary Ambika Soni blamed the Centre, accusing it of acting in "undue haste" to dismiss the Harish Rawat government on the eve of the trust vote.

Talking to reporters in Delhi, she alleged that the "mistake" by the Centre in the matter has led to problems as the "unconstitutional act" has resulted in many new issues cropping up.

Replying to questions, she said the AICC will seek legal opinion by talking to senior lawyers like Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Singhvi.

She said the party failed to understand as to where the rebel lawmakers could vote since they have been disqualified they cannot enter the Assembly.

Ms Soni, who is in-charge of party affairs in the hill state, insisted that till today there has been no voting outside the House on floor test.

Besides, she said as per rules, the Speaker cannot allow entry of "non-members" in the House of representatives.

The Congress leader remained ambivalent on questions whether the party would attempt to woo the rebels to ensure smooth sailing for Mr Rawat in the trust vote. "Wait and see, what we do," she told a questioner.

At the same time, she said as many as 34 lawmakers had marched along with Mr Rawat to the Governor to express their support to him yesterday. She said the lawmakers on their own have given affidavits in the matter.

She said this when asked whether the Congress is going to issue a whip asking its members to vote for Mr Rawat. She said that a whip is just a "procedural aspect".

Targeting the Centre, she asked how could President's Rule could be imposed in a state just on the basis of a sting whose authenticity is not known.

In a jolt to the Centre, the Uttarkhand High Court today ordered a floor test in the Assembly on March 31, giving a new turn to the political developments two days after President's Rule was imposed in the state.
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