Supreme Court order reasserts supremacy of legislative assembly: Harish Rawat

DEHRADUN: Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat today welcomed the Supreme Court's order for a floor test in the state Assembly on May 10, saying it reasserts the supremacy of the legislature in a democracy and hoped it will help end the political uncertainty in the state.

"The order reasserts the supremacy of the legislature which was being challenged, the supremacy of the Speaker in the House. We honour the apex court's order which reinforces our faith in the judiciary," Rawat told reporters soon after the apex court's order came.

Noting that Supreme Court's order will help end the prevailing political uncertainty in the state, he said a floor test was the only way out.

"The outcome of the floor test will lift the clouds of uncertainty hanging over Uttarakhand's political horizon for too long," he said.

"The MLA poaching vultures hovering over Uttarakhand will now go away," he said.

Asked whether he was ready for a floor test, he said he was always ready for it.

"We were ready for a floor test when the Uttarakhand High Court ordered it and we are ready for it even now," he said.

Exuding confidence that he had the numbers, Rawat said the MLAs have to vote for Uttarakhand's honour during floor test.

"The way BJP played with the honour of Uttarakhand first by engineering defection, then by imposing presidents' rule, trying to buy more of our MLAs and now by setting the CBI after me. The MLAs have to vote to save the state's honour," Rawat said.

"We have the support of all our MLAs despite the BJP's all out efforts to lure them away," he said.

The Supreme Court directed that the nine rebel Congress MLAs, who have challenged their disqualification by the Speaker in the High Court, will not participate in the floor test "if they have the same status" at the time of vote of confidence.

Incidentally, the petition of the disqualified MLAs will come up tomorrow before the Uttarakhand High Court.