#Uttarakhand High Court  Nix President’s Rule, Warn It Should Be ‘Last Resort’, big Setback for NDA 

Harish Rawat of the Congress, who was removed as Chief Minister, had challenged the Centre for placing the hill-side state under its administration through Governor KK Paul. He will now get a chance to prove his majority in a trust vote on April 29.

President’s Rule “should be used as a matter of last resort,” said the judges today, adding that the removal of “a democratically elected government breeds cynicism in the heart of citizens”.
Celebrations broke out outside Chief Minister Harish Rawat’s residence.
Mr Harish  Rawat will now be entitled to take a trust vote to determine if he can return as head of a Congress government.
The Congress has accused the Centre of distorting rules to remove an opposition government – a position vindicated by the court today.

In repeated hearings, the judges had rebuked the centre for acting like a “private party” and acting in “a hurry” to remove Mr #HarishRawat in March – President’s Rule was sanctioned just a day before he was to prove his majority in the legislature.

Disbanding Harih rawat’s government, President’s Rule had been imposed in Uttarakhand on March 29.
The Centre had argued that President Pranab Muhkerjee had signed-off on its decision and that the move could not be examined by courts. “Even the president can be wrong,” the judges firmly replied yesterday.
The Centre has said that Mr Rawat lost his majority in the legislature in March, as evidenced by the fact that nine of his own party members voted against the budget he presented for the state.

But UttarKhand CM Harish  Rawat says that with the support of independents, he can prove his right to lead the government.