Congress leader Harish Rawat is all set to be reinstated as Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, over six weeks after he was ousted by the Centre, with the Supreme Court on Wednesday putting its stamp of approval on the floor test in the Assembly on Tuesday.
“Rawat gets 33 votes out of 61 in the floor test. No irregularities were found in the voting. 9 MLAs could not vote due to their disqualification,” an apex court bench said and directed revocation of the President’s rule forthwith so that 68-year-old Rawat can assume office as Chief Minister.
Meanwhile, BJP bagged 28 seats.
Celebrations broke out in Dehradun the moment the news trickled in from the court that Rawat has won the trial of strength in the Assembly which was carried out on the instructions of the Supreme Court.
The developments have come as a major loss of face for the Modi Government at the Centre which had dismissed the Congress government and imposed President’s rule after nine Congress MLAs sided with the BJP on the Appropriation Bill.
The rebel MLAs were subsequently disqualified by the Speaker under the anti-defection law a decision that was upheld by the High Court and not interfered with by the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court said Harish Rawat will assume office as CM after President’s rule is revoked.
It, however, held that the justifiability of the proclamation of President’s rule made on March 28, which has been assailed by the high court, will remain alive as it is under challenge before the apex court.
An ecstatic Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi said that democracy has won and hoped that the Prime Minister will “learn the lesson”.
(Feature image source: Twitter | @timesofindia)