In just a day after being reinstated, Harish Rawat held two cabinet meetings and took a total of 13 decisions, before learning on Friday afternoon that he is no longer the Chief Minister.
Rawat had ceased to be the CM when the Centre put the state under President's rule on March 27. He was reinstated on Thursday evening when the Uttarakhand High Court revoked the Centre's order on President's Rule and called for a trust vote on April 29. A bit over 24 hours later, he lost his position again when the Supreme Court stayed the HC order till April 27.
"From what I understand, first I was dismissed by President's rule. Yesterday I was made a Chief Minister again by the High Court. Today, I am yet again dismissed," Rawat summed it up shortly after the SC stay order.
The hurry with which Rawat assumed office, even before getting a signed copy of the HC judgment, was criticised by the BJP which said what he did was illegal.
"By taking charge suo motu as Chief Minister, Rawat has created a constitutional crisis," state BJP spokesperson Munna Singh Chauhan said.
The High Court order quashing President's rule and reinstating the state government should have been implemented by the President, the Centre or the Governor, he said.
Chauhan also said the two Cabinet meetings were illegal and requested the Governor to order the Chief Secretary to ensure the decisions were not implemented.
The matter was also raised in the Supreme Court by Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi, who said Rawat was trying to steal a march on the others.
"I see on TV that the respondent (Rawat) says he has been resurrected as the Chief Minister and late in the night calls for cabinet meeting," Rohatgi said.
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