Uttarakhand crisis: BJP attacks Harish Rawat on sting, claims it will form govt in state

BJP on Sunday asserted that it will form government in Uttarakhand after May 10, claiming that a new sting video showed that ousted Chief Minister Harish Rawat has lost the support of Congress MLAs and he was bound to lose the trust vote on Tuesday.

"If they think that by giving money, they will save the floor then they are wrong. On tenth, the majority will go against Congress and the new government will be formed by BJP," party leader Bhagat Singh Koshyari told reporters. Terming Rawat's conduct as "shameful", he said that Congress is performing its "last rites" in the state as they have kept a leader who is "insulting his own party". 

Koshyari, who is a former chief minister of the state and is seen as a contender for the top post of if BJP forms the government, evaded a query on who will be the party's CM saying, "This answer can be given by party chief Amit Shah." "Harish Rawat alleges that BJP is indulging in horse-trading. He is himself indulging in it. First there was a sting on him. Today a new sting has come out.

"One MLA has himself has said that CM, to please his own MLAs, is giving Rs 25-30 lakhs. There cannot be a more shameful thing than this," the BJP leader alleged.

He said that the episode showed that the chief minister has lost trust in his own MLAs and the MLAs do not have trust in their leader. "MLAs lose their trust in their leader. Around one-third leave him, and those who are left, one-third of them also demand Rs 25 lakh or Rs 50 lakh. In Uttarkhand, this demonic sport should stop and Harish Rawat should stop levelling allegations," he said, adding that Congress has lost all hope and which is why they were"bribing their own members".

He said that MLAs in the sting have alleged that the government is involved with mining and liquor mafias. "Congress which at some point fought for the freedom of the country, which had leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel, that Congress to taking its last breath or rather performing its last rites. "It has kept such a leader in the state who is himself insulting the party and insulting the state as well. I believe that MLAs, for the dignity of the state and its people, will free themselves from such corrupt leaders," he said.

In the latest controversy, a sting video has been released by a private news channel which claimed that Harish Rawat gave Rs 25 lakh to some of his MLAs. The Supreme Court had on Friday ordered a floor test in Uttarakhand Assembly on May 10 when Rawat will seek a vote of confidence during which the nine disqualified Congress MLAs may be able to vote if the High Court permits them. The High Court has reserved its verdict on the rebel MLAs' plea for tomorrow. 

Koshyari said that many questions has been raised by the Uttarkhand episode and the BJP was in favour of floor test from the beginning.BJP was in favour of floor test from the beginning. "This is the first incident when the government has failed on money bill and the Vidhan Sabha Speaker has taken a wrong decision. The governor should have dismissed the government on that very day.

"Second point is that earlier it was felt that the Speaker is everything and he has many powers. But if the Speaker misuses his power, what should happen? If MLAs want division and the Speaker by not giving division, in a one-sided move says it should be decided through voice vote, then it is murder of democracy. "This issue should also be thought of. Through this episode, many things will be clear in the future," he said.

He added that when President's rule was imposed, BJP had never asked for dissolution of the Assembly. "We knew that in democracy, the majority should be proved in the Assembly. We knew that the mistake which was committed by the Governor should be corrected and President's rule imposed and then a floor test should be conducted," he said.In a statement, Koshyari condemned the allegations levelled by Harish Rawat that central  agencies were being misused to "harass" MLAs and leaders, who were being threatened and their phones were getting tapped and said they were "baseless and unfounded".

"He (Rawat) knows that he neither had majority on March 18 nor he has majority today. He has been trapped in his own spiderweb. Rawat's allegations shows his frustration. These allegations show that he (Rawat) is frustrated and disappointed. He has lost his majority so he is making illogical comments in frustration," he said.