'I have a comfortable majority'

LUCKNOW, AUG. 12. The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr. Rajnath Singh today opposed dissolution of the State Assembly saying his Government enjoyed a comfortable majority in the House.

There was also no need to advance the Assembly election as it was scheduled to be held in March next year, Mr. Singh told PTI in an interview.

On the withdrawal of support by the Loktantrik Congress Party, he said all the LCP legislators with the exception of the dismissed Minister, Mr. Naresh Agrawal, had pledged their support to him.

He also denied that his Government was ``luring'' LCP legislators with offers of ministerial berths. Dismissing Mr. Agrawal's claim that some LCP Ministers had sent their resignations to the Chief Minister, Mr. Singh said he had not received any resignation letter.

Asked whether an inquiry would be held into corruption charges against Mr. Agrawal, the Chief Minister said the people already knew well the misdeeds of certain politicians in the State. However, his Government would not hesitate to expose the corrupt elements and would do everything possible to bring them to book.

The people were fed up with political blackmailers and were extending their support to the BJP to get rid of them and to help the Government accelerate the pace of development, he said. The Chief Minister claimed that four LCP MPs - two each from the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha - were in constant touch with him and had assured him of their support to the Vajpayee Government.

He asked the Opposition to unite if it wanted to meet the BJP's challenge in the coming election. ``I am counselling the Opposition to form a united front as only then it can offer some resistance to BJP.''

To a question, the Chief Minister said the Samajwadi party was dominated by Mr. Mulayam Singh Yadav's family members while the BSP stood for certain castes and was run in an ``autocratic'' manner.

On the grim power situation in the State, Mr. Singh said after Mr. Agrawal's sacking, he had held a series of high- level meetings and directed concerned officials to show results without further delay.

In another interview to the television channel Aaj Tak, Mr. Singh asked the Opposition to bring a no-confidence motion against his Government in the Assembly if it so desired. ``If Mr. Mulayam Singh Yadav wants to bring a no- confidence motion in the Assembly and try to defeat our Government, he can do so.''

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