U’khand my priority, will resign if I lose majority: Harish Rawat

Dehradun: With the Congress government in crisis in Uttarakhand after nine party MLAs, including a minister, joined hands with the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party overnight, Chief Minister Harish Rawat on Saturday asserted that the welfare of the state was his priority and added that he would tender his resignation if he was not able to prove majority.

Speaking to the media here, the Chief Minister stated that the rebel MLAs should have spoken to the Speaker or the Governor separately before taking such a colossal step but added that he was ready to give time to the deflecting MLAs to accept their mistake and apologise for their actions.

“Around four to five rebel MLAs are in touch with us now and I am giving them a chance to accept their mistakes. Their conduct was wrong and if they won’t accept it then action will be taken. So far, five of them have contacted me,” Rawat said.

Adding that the Congress in the state was ready to prove majority in the House, he said that the ruckus created by the BJP after the adjournment was completely wrong and those who supported it were equally guilty.

Lashing out at the BJP leaders for ‘misusing the central machinery’, he stated that the Opposition was making desperate attempts to get rid of the Congress government in the state.

“Their schemes will fail for sure. I will prove my majority on the floor of the House. I am a democratic individual and the moment I lose my majority, I will offer my resignation. The BJP is flustered right now keeping 2019 in mind, which is why they are attacking our government,” Rawat said.

Issuing a challenge to the rebel MLAs, he dared them to prove their majority in the House and not ‘run’ to New Delhi.

Meanwhile, following the massive upheaval, the Congress alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah, who are drunk with power, are using sinister means to destabilise elected governments.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala told ANI that the duo of Prime Minister Modi and the BJP president have now become infamous for forcible evacuation of elected governments in this country.

“First, elected governments are destabilised by a sinister conspiracy and then they are sought to be unseated without the will of people. First Arunachal and now Uttarakhand.Modi ji and Amit Shah ji are trying to destablise Opposition’s government, particularly Congress Party’s government,” Surjewala said.

As many as 26 BJP MLAs and nine rebel Congress legislators arrived in the national capital last night in their bid to topple the Harish Rawat-led Congress Government in Uttarakhand.

A three-member delegation, comprising senior BJP leader Bhagat Singh Koshiyari, Uttarakhand in-charge Shyam Jaju and party general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya met Uttarakhand Governor K. K. Paul last night and demanded the dismissal of the Harish Rawat-led government while stating that it was in a minority.

The BJP staked claim to form the government with the support of the rebel Congress MLAs. (ANI)