Buoyed by the High Court single bench’s March 29 order enabling the nine dissident Congress MlAs, disqualified by the Assembly Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal under the anti-defection law, State BJP in-charge Shyam Jaju said on Wednesday that it had vindicated his party’s stance of the illegitimacy of the Speaker’s action. “The Speaker acted on our demand for division of vote on the financial bill being influenced by political prejudice on March 18,” he said.
Notably, the press conference was held before the double bench of the High Court stayed the order of the single bench issued on Tuesday, asking the deposed Chief Minister Harish Rawat to face the floor test on March 31 and enabling the dissident Congress lawmakers to vote under certain conditions. The double bench deferred the next hearing on the case till April 6.
“It is clear from the court’s March 29 ruling that the Speaker was on the wrong side of things as far as his action to disqualify the rebels is concerned,” Jaju said.
Jaju further said that the BJP MlAs and the rebel Congress MlAs would vote together against the Congress during the floor test whenever it is held.
“Congress should take things gracefully and get reconciled to the fact that they have lost the battle with the rebels remaining firm to show them the door if they make a comeback bid during the President’s Rule,” the BJP leader said.
