BJP to hold Uttarakhand core group meeting on May 18

The meeting, called after the party's humiliating defeat during the floor test, will be held to discuss the recent developments in the state

After the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) faced a humiliating defeat in the Uttarakhand floor test, party chief Amit Shah will hold a meeting of the state's core group on May 18 to discuss the recent developments in the state.

Party organisation general secretary Ram Lal, general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya, Uttarakhand in-charge Shyam Jaju, all Uttarakhand Lok Sabha MPs, state president Ajay Bhatt, and senior party leader Satpal Mahraj would be present in the meeting.

The meeting would also discuss about the future of the nine rebel Congress MLAs.

The Centre on May 11 revoked President's rule from Uttarakhand after Chief Minister Harish Rawat proved his majority on the floor of the House.

The Congress won by a margin of 33-28 in the floor test on Tuesday.

With nine Congress rebels barred from voting, the strength of the 71-member assembly was 62. Sources said 28 MLAs voted for the BJP.

Harish Rawat welcomed the decision of revoking President's rule in Uttarakhand by the Central Government.

Following his meeting with Congress president Sonia Gandhi after assuming charges as Uttarakhand Chief Minister again, Rawat earlier on Thursday said the nine expelled Congress rebel were sitting in the lap the BJP with whom the Congress could have no compromise.

The Centre had imposed President's rule in the state on March 27, arguing that the Rawat government lost majority when nine rebel Congress MLAs voted against the state government's annual budget.