Nabam Tuki has been asked by Arunachal Pradesh Governor to prove his majority by July 16.
Bracing for a tough floor test in Arunachal Pradesh with many of its MLAs in the rebel camp, Congress on Thursday said the fact that democracy has won was more important than how to muster support.
"It is now for the chief minister to prove majority. The question is not as to how you are going to muster the support, the question is that democracy has won," senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad told reporters. He evaded a query on whether Congress has reconciled to its imminent defeat in the floor test.
Nabam Tuki, who was reinstated as chief minister after the Supreme Court ruling on Wednesday, has been asked by acting Governor Tathagata Roy to prove his majority by July 16. The party has asked its rebels to return and help prove a majority of its government, headed by Tuki. Sources said a section within the party has advocated making rebel camp leader Kalikho Pul the new Congress chief minister.
Azad said the Supreme Court judgement categorically stated that they (BJP and Congress rebels) chose undemocratic way of electing a new chief minister and used the Governor for that.
"So, we are against that... In a democracy, anybody can form the government. If the MLAs had no faith in the Chief Minister, he should have been allowed to prove his majority on the floor of the House and not in restaurants and bars," he said.
On the SC judgement, Azad said Congress has appreciated the verdict which was "historic and landmark".
"This is also a lesson for BJP and the central government that they cannot mislead the courts, they cannot mislead the people of this country," he said.
In the 60-member Assembly, Congress had 45 MLAs. But over 20 MLAs rebelled and joined the camp of Pul, who was elected chief minister with support of BJP and Independent MLAs in November.
Congress leader Kapil Sibal had yesterday said the rebels are part of the Congress family. Tuki said he was in talks with the rebel MLAs and would win them back.
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