BJP attacks Rawat on sting, claims it will form govt in Uttarkhand

BJP today asserted that it will form government in Uttarkhand after May 10, claiming that a new sting video showed that ousted Chief Minister Harish Rawat has lost the support of Congress MLAs and he was bound to lose the trust vote on Tuesday.

“If they think that by giving money, they will save the floor then they are wrong. On tenth, the majority will go against Congress and the new government will be formed by BJP,” party leader Bhagat Singh Koshyari told reporters.

Terming Rawat’s conduct as “shameful”, he said that Congress is performing its “last rites” in the state as they have kept a leader who is “insulting his own party”.

Koshyari, who is a former chief minister of the state and is seen as a contender for the top post of if BJP forms the government, evaded a query on who will be the party’s CM saying, “This answer can be given by party chief Amit Shah.”

“Harish Rawat alleges that BJP is indulging in horse-trading. He is himself indulging in it. First there was a sting on him. Today a new sting has come out.

“One MLA has himself has said that CM, to please his own MLAs, is giving Rs 25-30 lakhs. There cannot be a more shameful thing than this,” the BJP leader alleged.

He said that the episode showed that the chief minister has lost trust in his own MLAs and the MLAs do not have trust in their leader.

“MLAs lose their trust in their leader. Around one-third leave him, and those who are left, one-third of them also demand Rs 25 lakh or Rs 50 lakh. In Uttarkhand, this demonic sport should stop and Harish Rawat should stop levelling allegations,” he said, adding that Congress has lost all hope and which is why they were”bribing their own members”.

He said that MLAs in the sting have alleged that the government is involved with mining and liquor mafias.

“Congress which at some point fought for the freedom of the country, which had leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel, that Congress to taking its last breath or rather performing its last rites.

“It has kept such a leader in the state who is himself insulting the party and insulting the state as well. I believe that MLAs, for the dignity of the state and its people, will free themselves from such corrupt leaders,” he said.

In the latest controversy, a sting video has been released by a private news channel which claimed that Harish Rawat gave Rs 25 lakh to some of his MLAs.

The Supreme Court had on Friday ordered a floor test in Uttarakhand Assembly on May 10 when Rawat will seek a vote of confidence during which the nine disqualified Congress MLAs may be able to vote if the High Court permits them.

The High Court has reserved its verdict on the rebel MLAs’ plea for tomorrow.