The Hindu : U.P. stalemate may end by March 7

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 05, 2002

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National

U.P. stalemate may end by March 7
By Our Special Correspondent

The Union Agriculture Minister and Rashtriya Lok Dal president, Ajit Singh, with the U.P. Governor, Vishnu Kant Shastri, at the Raj Bhavan in Lucknow on Monday. - Photo: Subir Roy

LUCKNOW, MARCH 4. The Uttar Pradesh Governor, Vishnu Kant Shastri, today indicated that the stalemate over the formation of a new government in the State might come to an end by Thursday.

Talking to newspersons after consultations with the Rashtriya Lok Dal leader, Ajit Singh, on the issue, Mr. Shastri said he would wait for the Congress communication till March 6 and take his decision the following day.

Ajit Singh told the Governor that his party had contested the Assembly elections as a constituent of the National Democratic Alliance and would continue to support its line. The RLD would not support the Samajwadi Party which had staked its claim to form the next government. The RLD, as the largest ally of the BJP in the State, has 14 members in the new Assembly.

The Governor has elicited the views of the BJP and the Bahujan Samaj Party. *While both the parties made it clear that they would not support the Samajwadi Party claim, the Congress has taken the stand that it was preoccupied with the communal situation in Gujarat and would take a decision on the question of support to any dispensation only by March 6.

Mr. Shastri said he would wait for the Congress reply till the date but would not extend the deadline beyond that.

The Samajwadi Party, whose claim was based on its strength as the largest single party having won 146 seats along with its allies, has so far been able to muster the support of only some minor parties. The BJP-led alliance and BSP, together having 205 members in the 403-member Assembly, can prevent the SP from capturing power. The ambiguity of the Congress has only added to the SP's problems. The Samajwadi Party, however, has charged that the Governor was unduly delaying the process of formation of the next government. It has threatened to launch an agitation from March 6 in protest against ``Mr. Shastri's action''.

Mr. Shastri has promised to explore all possibilities to constitute a popular government, adding that imposition of President's Rule would be his last alternative.

Mulayam alleges BJP conspiracy

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, MARCH 4. The Samajwadi Party chief, Mulayam Singh Yadav, today charged the BJP-led NDA Government with ``conspiring'' to bring Uttar Pradesh under Central rule and deny his party the ``right'' to form the next Government.

At a meeting here of the People's Front, of which he is the convener, Mr. Yadav said the Vajpayee Government was planning to rule Uttar Pradesh by imposing President's rule and preventing the SP, which had emerged as the single-largest party, from forming the Government.

``We are the only party which staked claim to form the Government in Uttar Pradesh since the results of the Assembly elections were declared on February 24. What is the Governor waiting for,'' he asked.

The SP chief told presspersons that since no other party had offered to form the Government, the Governor, Vishnu Kant Shastri, should swear-in his Government and allow him to prove his majority on the floor of the House. ``The place to prove majority is the Assembly floor and not the Governor's drawing room,'' he said when it was pointed out that Mr. Shastri had sought the list of MLAs who were willing to support the SP.

The statement of the Chief Minister, Rajnath Singh, that the BJP would consider forming a Government provided the BSP extended support proved that the BJP was out to stall the SP move.

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