The Hindu : Three advisers for U.P. Governor

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Apr 09, 2002

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Three advisers for U.P. Governor

By J.P. Shukla

LUCKNOW APRIL 8. The Union Government has appointed three advisers to assist the Governor, Vishnu Kant Shastri, in the day-to-day functioning of the State Government, giving further indications that the current spell of President's rule in Uttar Pradesh might last longer than expected.

Mr. Shastri is also reported to have sounded Government officials that formation of a popular government is difficult under the present political situation and that they should be prepared to take important decisions to strengthen the administration.

Two of the newly-appointed advisers to the Governor are retired IAS officers from the State — Bhola Nath Tiwari and Sunita Kandpal. Mr. Tiwari is a former Chief Secretary. Both of them belong to the 1965 batch of the IAS cadre.

The third adviser, B.S. Inamdar, is a former Director-General of Police, Maharashtra.

Bharatiya Janata Party leaders have been sending conflicting signals about the possibility of their joining hands with the Bahujan Samaj Party to form a coalition government in the State. One group has been claiming that negotiations had reached the final stages with the BSP and the two parties are fully prepared to launch a new government "any time".

The rival group has, however, discounted the possibility on the ground that the Central Parliamentary Board of the BJP has accepted the people's mandate to sit in the Opposition and there is no change in the party's stand.

The appointment of the advisers has, however, confirmed that the national BJP leadership is not in a hurry to end President's rule.

The Centre has taken more than a month to appoint advisers to the Governor, who is not known for any past administrative experiences to run the Government in this vast State.

The appointment of advisers at this stage could, therefore, not be without any valid reason, goes the logic.

The Union Minister for Agriculture and Rashtriya Lok Dal leader, Ajit Singh, today said that the MLAs of his party were divided over joining a coalition government headed by the BSP.

The RLD had contested the Assembly elections as an ally of the BJP and its support would be crucial for a BJP-BSP alliance to form a Government.

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Three advisers for U.P. Governor