Major blow to Centre as SC refuses to allow rebel MLAs in floor test

New Delhi: In a major blow to the BJP-led Centre, the Supreme Court in an interim order today refused to allow the nine rebel Uttarakhand Congress MLAs to participate in the floor test in the state assembly tomorrow. The apex court, which also maintained that voting in floor test shall take place tomorrow as directed, will hear the matter next on July 12. The nine rebel Congress MLAs had earlier approached the apex court for an urgent hearing against the Uttarakhand High Court's order dismissing their plea which challenged their disqualification. The rebel MLAs moved the apex court this morning after Justice U.C. Dhyani of the Uttarakhand High Court pronounced his order dismissing their petition challenging Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal's decision to disqualify them. The nine Congress MLAs had stood against their party on March 18 and supported the BJP by asking for a division of votes on the Appropriation Bill, after which the Speaker had disqualified them. Earlier, the apex court had said the disqualified MLAs would not be able to cast their vote as long as their disqualification remained. Excluding the nine disqualified Congress 'rebel' MLAs, the floor test will involve 27 Congress MLAs, 28 BJP MLAs, six PDF members and one nominated member. The total members to vote being 62, Harish Rawat will need 32 votes to be reinstated as the chief minister of Uttarakhand.