Rebel Congress legislators from Uttarakhand released a video from a sting operation that allegedly showed Chief Minister Harish Rawat agreeing to a deal to buy back the MLAs who left his government. PTI reported that the rebel MLAs said Rawat tried to bribe them for their support in the state Assembly. The rebel MLAs had aligned with the Bharatiya Janata Party after a row in the Assembly. Rawat has until March 28 to prove his majority in the House. The BJP on Saturday said they have asked for President's rule in the state.

Rawat denied the allegations and said the video from the sting operation was fake. He called the rebel leaders’ alliance with the BJP an unholy one, according to Hindustan Times, and said the video aimed at blackmailing people of the state. He also said the MLAs had switched alliances to “fulfil their greed for power”. Harak Singh Rawat, one of the rebel Congress legislators, had circulated the video at a press conference in Delhi. He said that besides trying to bribe the nine Congress MLAs, Rawat was also threatening them. ANI reported that the MLAs have now been given additional security.