The floor test in Uttarakhand is virtually heading for a nail-biting finish.
The Uttarakhand High Court will pronounce its verdict on the disqualification of the nine Congress rebel MLAs on Monday, just a day before the floor test in the Uttarakhand Assembly which will decide the fate of ousted chief minister Harish Rawat.
The high court on Saturday reserved its order on a petition of the rebel Congress MLAs challenging their disqualification by the state Assembly Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal.
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The court's judgment on the status of these MLAs will assume significance as far as the floor test, ordered by the Supreme Court on May 10, is concerned. If the rebels remain disqualified they will not be allowed to cast their vote during the floor test in the 71-member House, whose effective strength will remain 62.
However, if their disqualification is revoked the floor test will be held in a house of 71 (along with the nominated member and the Speaker) in which Rawat, who will be seeking the trust vote will have to muster the support of at least 36. The Speaker can vote in the House only in case of a tie.
Senior Supreme Court lawyers Kapil Sibal and Amit Sibal argued on behalf of the Speaker while C A Sundaram and Dinesh Dwiwedi represented the disqualified rebel MLAs.