Cloud of uncertainty hovering over Uttarakhand will disappear tomorrow: Harish Rawat; floor test result to be presented in Supreme Court tomorrow.

Though the crucial floor test to ascertain whether sacked Chief Minister Harish Rawat has the majority in the Uttarakhand Assembly got over on Tuesday morning, the results will remain a mystery till Wednesday. However, sources said it's highly likely that the deposed Chief Minister Harish Rawat had gathered more votes than the BJP during the floor test.

“The cloud of uncertainty hovering over Uttarakhand will disappear tomorrow,” an elated Harish Rawat after voting in Assembly.

President’s rule was lifted for the duration of the floor test, which was from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday. Following Supreme Court orders, the results will be presented to the court on Wednesday, before being made public.

Minutes before the floor test, BSP supremo Mayawati announced that her party would support the Congress during the trust vote. BSP, in Uttarakhand, is a part of the six-member Progressive Democratic Front (PDF) that had supported the Congress government. Before the trust vote too, the PDF had pledged support for Mr. Rawat.

Before entering the Uttarakhand Assembly, while one Congress MLA (Rekha Arya) sided with the BJP, on Tuesday, one BJP MLA (Bhimlal Arya) supported the Congress.

The Uttarakhand Assembly remained out of bounds for the media on Tuesday, and none, other than those authorised, could witness the floor test. However, the Assembly proceedings were recorded on video.

After the floor test Mr. Rawat said, “We cannot disclose the proceedings but we are eagerly waiting for the results to be presented to the Supreme Court.”

BJP MLA Ganesh Joshi said, “BJP couldn’t defeat the Congress in the number game.”

Live updates:

1.15 pm: Confirming that Harish Rawat had won the trust vote, Congress MLA Sarita Arya told the media, “We won the trust vote. The Congress got 33 votes and the BJP got 28 votes.”

12.37 pm: 33 members who were on our side cast their votes, want to thank PDF,BSP,UKD, says Congress MLA Indira Hridayesh after floor test, reports ANI.

12.31 pm: Cloud of uncertainty hovering over Uttarakhand will disappear tomorrow: elated Harish Rawat after voting in Assembly

12.02 pm: Harish Rawat wins trust vote, says sources. Results to be presented in the Supreme Court. BJP MLA Ganesh Joshi says, “BJP couldn't defeat the Congress in the numbers game.”

11. 57 am: Uttarakhand trust vote ends, MLAs say they cannot disclose result since it has to be presented to the Supreme Court on Wednesday.

11. 29 am: Mr. Rawat reached the assembly in the morning and personally supervised the entry of all Congress legislators, reports IANS. Escorted by some of his Ministerial colleagues, Mr. Rawat was seen smiling as legislators emerged out of their cars. He also ushered in the four PDF legislators, who are said to supporting him.

11.06 am: It is highly probable that Harish Rawat will win today's trust vote.

The BSP will be supporting the Congress, Maywati announces; It seems the Congress will now have 34 votes and Rawat will win. Rawat needs only 32 votes to win. However, it looks that now he'll have two more votes than needed.

10.47 am: Congress MLA Rekha Arya crosses over to BJP; Bhimlal Arya of the BJP will be siding with the Congress

Ms. Arya was one of the four MLAs the BJP >“tried to buy”, according to Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee president Kishore Upadhyay. He told The Hindu, they (Ganesh Godiyal, Rajendra Bhandari, Ms. Arya and Anusuya Prasad Maikhuri) “rejected the offer”.

10.30 am: President's rule lifted, kept in abeyance for two-and-a-half hours from 10:30 a.m.

10.15 am: The Supreme Court has appointed Principal Secretary, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs of the State, as neutral observer for the floor test, and ordered him to watch the floor test as court-appointed observer with a sense of “absolute objectivity and singularity of purpose of neutrality.” >Read more

10.10 am: Replying to a question about dismissal of the petition filed by the nine rebel Congress MLAs by the High Court, the Speaker had said, it was a victory for the democratic and constitutional institutions and has strengthened people’s trust in the judiciary.

10.05 am: Decisions taken at a meeting chaired by the Assembly Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal to review the security arrangements ahead of the floor test. Uttarakhand DGP M.A. Ganpati along with senior police and civil officials also attended the meeting.

“All directions of the Supreme Court for keeping the exercise of trust vote peaceful and secure will be followed so that the MLAs can vote freely,” Mr. Kunjwal said after the meeting.

“No MLA, official or worker will be allowed to bring their cellphones to the Assembly and entry of mediapersons has also been completely prohibited during the process,” he said.

10 am: Uttarakhand Assembly out of bounds for the media and all legislators and officials have been barred from carrying mobile phones to the House during the floor test. No vehicles will be allowed to enter the Assembly premises and all MLAs, including the Speaker, will have to walk down to the House from the main gate.

(With PTI, IANS inputs)