Uttarakhand High Court Abolishes President's Rule in State

Uttarakhand high court ruled President's Rule was wrongly declared and granted a petition filed by former Chief Minister Harish Rawat, restoring him to power and ordering a floor test set for April 29. In keeping with the pattern of the last few hearings, the judges were fierce today in their criticism of the Centre, underscoring that President's Rule "should be used as a matter of last resort," and that the removal of "a democratically elected government breeds cynicism in the heart of citizens".

In a major embarrassment for the Centre, the Uttarakhand High Court has set aside President's rule in the state. While ruling against the imposition of President's rule, the court said that proclamation imposing Article 356 dated March 27 stands quashed and status quo as on the date of the proclamation will be restored. The floor test in Uttarakhand Assembly will take place on April 29, ruled the High Court. Congress has 36 MLAs including nine rebels in the 71-member Assembly. But the nine Congress MLAs have been barred from taking part in the trust vote.