Politics
Floor test ends in 70 seat Uttarakhand Assembly
The SC-monitored floor test in the Uttarakhand assembly ended and the results will be declared tomorrow by the court. Earlier, BSP had assured support to Congress who was 4 short of the magic 31 mark in the 70 seat assembly after its strength reduced to 61 due to the disqualification of 9 MLAs. No one was allowed inside except MLAs and the court-appointed observer.
The Uttarakhand political crisis
On 18 March, BJP MLAs along with 9 Congress MLAs demanded a division of votes when the Appropriation Bill was presented in the Assembly. However, the bill was "unconstitutionally" passed as Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal ignored the request for division of votes. The Centre argued that since the Appropriation Bill wasn't passed in the State, the Centre had to intervene by imposing President's rule.
President's Rule imposed in Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand was brought under President's Rule by the Centre on grounds of "breakdown of governance" in a controversial decision which came in the wake of a political crisis in the state. President Pranab Mukherjee signed the proclamation under Art 356 of the Constitution dismissing the Congress government headed by Harish Rawat. The Congress denounced the decision and said that it will move to court.
No floor test for the Rawat government
The President's Rule in Uttarakhand was introduced one day before the Harish Rawat government was to seek a floor test in the assembly to prove it still had the much needed majority.
Congress moves to court against President's Rule
The Congress party knocked the door of Uttarakhand HC against the imposition of President's Rule in the state. The petition by Rawat claimed that the BJP's central government was "murdering democracy". Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, on the other hand, justified the imposition of President's rule. Jaitley said that Rawat should quit from the chief minister's post after the failure of the Appropriation Bill.
Uttarakhand HC pulls the plug on President's Rule
Uttarakhand HC nullified the President's Rule in Uttarakhand. It opined that the Centre had acted in 'blatant falsehood' and also denounced the Uttarakhand Speaker of "double standards'." The HC ordered a floor test in the Assembly on 29 April. Moreover, the 9 dissident Congress MLAs were disqualified for the 'constitutional sin' of defection. With status quo restored, the Rawat government came back to power.
Congress and BJP spar in Rajya Sabha over Uttarakhand
The Opposition obstructed the proceedings in the upper house of the Parliament by raising slogans against the BJP government at Centre over the Uttarakhand issue. Ministers Arun Jaitley and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi faced Congress' Anand Sharma and Ghulam Nabi Azad on the issue. BJP argued that any debate on Uttarakhand was inapplicable as the matter was now being heard by the Court.
SC: President's Rule in Uttarakhand to stay
The SC ordered the continuation of the President's Rule in Uttarakhand until it adjudicates on the Centre's appeal against Uttarakhand HC's decision. The SC cancelled the HC ordered floor test scheduled for 29th April. SC asked 7 questions related to 27th March imposition of President's Rule and sought Centre's responses to them. It also asked Centre about the feasibility of a floor test.
CBI summons Uttarakhand ex-CM Rawat over the corruption sting
Former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat was summoned by the CBI in connection with a sting CD that purportedly showed him offering bribes. The nine rebel Congress leaders had claimed that Rawat had tried to buy their support by offering money. The investigating agency had registered a preliminary enquiry after a forensic laboratory had established that the sting CD was genuine and not doctored.
SC orders Uttarakhand floor test on 10 May
In order to decide if the Rawat-led government still enjoyed a majority, the SC fixed a floor-test on 10 May. However, the apex court barred 9 MLAs disqualified by the assembly speaker from voting in the floor test. Earlier, the Centre had informed the SC that it was ready for a floor test and that the court should appoint an observer for it.
Floor test ends in 70 seat Uttarakhand Assembly
The SC-monitored floor test in the Uttarakhand assembly ended and the results will be declared tomorrow by the court. Earlier, BSP had assured support to Congress who was 4 short of the magic 31 mark in the 70 seat assembly after its strength reduced to 61 due to the disqualification of 9 MLAs. No one was allowed inside except MLAs and the court-appointed observer.
