The Hindu : Mayawati quits LS, to focus on U.P.

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 08, 2002

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Mayawati quits LS, to focus on U.P.
By K.V. Prasad

NEW DELHI, MARCH 7. In an apparent bid to form a government in Uttar Pradesh, the Bahujan Samaj Party today sent its vice-president, Mayawati, to play an active role as the Legislature party leader in the State. As a result, Ms. Mayawati today resigned from the Lok Sabha.

The BSP's move came a day after the Uttar Pradesh Governor, Vishnu Kant Shastri, recommended the imposition of President's rule on the ground that no political party was in a position to form the next government. Significantly, both Ms. Mayawati and the BSP chief, Kanshi Ram, who addressed a press conference here, welcomed the move and were also soft in their comments on the BJP.

``We are the second largest party and would try to form a government in U.P.,'' the BSP chief said. In the same breath, he said the party was not afraid of facing new elections, if a solution to the present stalemate could not be found.

Neither Kanshi Ram nor Ms. Mayawati was willing to explain how the BSP hoped to form the government given the fact that the party has just 98 MLAs. The BSP leaders reminded that even in 1996, Central rule was lifted after Ms. Mayawati became the Chief Minister with the BJP's support. They were reluctant to say whom they were talking to, except ruling out the possibility of either supporting the Samajwadi Party or taking its help.

Ms. Mayawati's decision to shift to U.P. politics is being seen as a signal that the party is not willing to fall for any bait at the Centre that the BJP is said to be offering. It is also said to be a move to ensure that the BSP MLAs stick together and tell them that Ms. Mayawati is in control of the situation.

Ms. Mayawati said the party would take a decision on the basis of its principles and in the interest of the community it represented.

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