Toppling elected governments by misuse of money, muscle BJP's new model: Rahul

New Delhi: Amid the ongoing impasse in the Uttarakhand Assembly over allegations of horse-trading, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday hit out at BJP.

Rahul Gandhi took to Twitter to vent his anger on the opposition BJP. "Toppling elected governments by indulging in horse trading and blatant misuse of money and muscle, seems to be BJP's new model, after failure in Bihar", his official handle read.

He also riled the BJP for the current political situation in Uttarakhand. "This attack on our democracy & Constitution, first in Arunachal & now Uttarakhand, is the true face of Modiji's BJP", his official Twitter handle added.

"Congress Party will fight demagoguery with democracy", his official handle further added.

The Uttarakhand government landed in a political crisis after it got merely 32 votes in favour against the 36 required for the Finance Bill to be passed.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said there is deep division in the Congress in Uttarakhand and this division is not attributable to BJP. "If you make one CM, the other gets annoyed. Majority is saying that we have voted against budget but speaker has accepted a failed bill. This is unique and never seen in a democracy. They don't have numbers", Jaitley said.

Earlier on Saturday, the BJP rubbished the allegation of horse trading in Uttarakhand where nine Congress legislators have revolted against Chief Minister Harish Rawat. The party also challenged Rawat to prove his majority in the house.

"Allegations of horse trading are ridiculous. The legislators of Congress have revolted against the functioning of Rawat and his dictatorial attitude," BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya told reporters.

He also said the Congress leaders, who have revolted against the chief minister are not those who can be bought for money.

"Vijay Bahuguna is among the rebel Congress leaders. He was chief minister of the state. What does Congress want to say? Do they mean Vijay Bahuguna is salable (bikau maal)," he said.

Facing a political crisis, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat on Saturday got a breather with Governor Krishna Kant Paul asking him to prove his majority on the floor of the state Assembly by March 28.

The Governor's directive to Rawat came even as BJP, claiming majority with support of nine rebel Congress MLAs in the 70-member Assembly, stepped up efforts to form its government, contending that the Rawat ministry has been reduced to a minority.

On his part, Rawat asserted that he was ready to prove his majority in the Assembly.

While BJP claimed the support of 35 MLAs including the rebel Congress legislators, Rawat said he still enjoys a majority in the Assembly as none of the rebel MLAs have quit the party or the CLP. He also said that five of the rebels were in touch with him.

Governor Krishna Kant Paul had on Saturday asked Rawat to prove his majority on the floor of the state Assembly by March 28.

The Governor's directive to Rawat came even as BJP, claiming majority with support of nine rebel Congress MLAs in the 70-member Assembly, stepped up efforts to form its government, contending that the Rawat ministry has been reduced to a minority.

While BJP claimed the support of 35 MLAs including the rebel Congress legislators, Rawat said he still enjoys a mmajority in the Assembly as none of the rebel MLAs have quit the party or the CLP. He also said that five of the rebels were in touch with him.

Assembly Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal had said the "anti-defection law is in place and whoever is found guilty of violating it will have to be acted against". "All Congress MLAs voted with the government when the previous bill was passed in the Assembly and nobody had challenged the bill. Even the BJP accepts the voice vote," he said.

Congress had on Saturday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah of seeking to destabilise non-BJP governments through lure of money and political power.

"The duo of Modi and Shah are infamous for forcible eviction of elected governments in this country. Elected government are being destabilised by a sinister conspiracy. After Arunachal Pradesh, it is Uttarakhand," Congress chief spokesman Randeep Surjewala Surjewala had said.