The apex court that directed the Rawat government to take floor test on May 10, however, barred them (rebel MLAs) from voting.
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The nine Uttarakhand Congress rebel MLAs who snubbed Chief Minister Harish Rawat before the imposition of President’s Rule in the state of Uttarakhand on Wednesday evening, officially joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The fate of these MLAs has been in lurch after the Congress won floor test in Uttarakhand Assembly.
Earlier, senior Uttarkhand leaders, including former chief ministers B.C. Khanduri, B.S. Koshiyari and Ramesh Pokhriyal besides state unit chief Ajay Bhatt and party’s state in-charge Shyama Jaju, held a meeting with party president Amit Shah.
“All the nine rebel Congress leaders will join the BJP at the party headquarters in the presence of senior leaders”, a BJP leader said on Wednesday.
On March 18, these legislators had staked claim with the BJP to form government in the state. Bahuguna said their entry into the BJP was not for any personal gain but in the state’s interest.
Also, a majority section within the BJP’s state unit were are not in favour of Congress rebels joing the party as they feel it would impact the equation in constituencies, which the nine Congress rebels had represented.
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Among those came to the BJP fold included former minister in the Rawat government Harak Singh Rawat, who rejoined the party after a gap of 20 years. “We will work together with BJP workers and I hope the coming times will be bring a bright future for Uttarakhand”. The Central leadership might have had a pre-induction understanding with the nine rebels and that might cost nine deserving BJP leaders the tickets, he suspected. It is because of rampant corruption and also because of the fact that Rahul Gandhi is not accessible.
