Rawat claims full majority, warns Cong rebels of disciplinary action

Beleaugered Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat, whose Congress government plunged into a crisis tonight with nine party MLAs revolting against his leadership, tonight claimed he has "full majority" and warned of disciplinary action against the rebels.

"We have full majority. All our members are in tact. The figures being touted (about our government's strengh being reduced) are totally wrong," he told reporters here.

He said if some Congress MLAs, "being lured" by BJP, are today making any claim, the party would take cognizance of it and "whatever action is taken within the party in such cases will be taken."

Rawat said the party will find out who the rebel Congress MLAs are and "so far, only one face has come to the fore."

A three-member BJP delegation, comprising former chief minister and MP Bhagat Singh Koshiyari, BJP in-charge of Uttarakhand Shyam Jaju and general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya met Governor K K Paul tonight and said the Harish Rawat government was in a minority and sought its dismissal.

According to Raj Bhavan sources, BJP staked claim to form the government with the support of the rebel Congress MLAs. 

Later, the Chief Minister accused the opposition of horse-trading and dared it to move a no-confidence motion, saying he was ready to prove majority in the House.

"We have full majority. If opposition has any doubt over our majority, it should give no confidence motion and we are ready to prove our majority on the floor.

"The top brass of BJP and RSS were seen here and also in the House. I thought they were here to pacify the BJP MLAs who were agitated after one of their MLAs broke a leg of a horse ... But now, I doubt that they might be involved in some horse-trading," Rawat said.