The Hindu : Mayawati increases coalition strength

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 12, 2003

National

National

Mayawati increases coalition strength

LUCKNOW FEB. 11. The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Mayawati, today strengthened the ruling coalition by inducting the Rashtriya Parivartan Dal (RPD) MLA, Mehboob Ali, as a Minister of State (independent charge) in her Cabinet after making him a member of her Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

Mr. Ali was administered oath of office and secrecy by the Governor, Vishnu Kant Shastri. He was the lone MLA of the RPD headed by D.P. Yadav.

With this, the BSP's strength in the Assembly has increased to 107 even as the coalition government prepares to face a possible no-confidence motion expected to be brought by the Opposition in the Budget session.

Earlier, seven Akhil Bharatiya Congress (ABC) MLAs joined the BSP increasing its strength from 99 to 106. With today's expansion, the strength of the over nine-month-old Ministry has gone up to 80.

The BSP and its allies, including some independents, have a comfortable strength of around 213 in the Assembly. While the BSP has 107 members, the BJP has 87 MLAs. The RLD, another partner in the ruling coalition, has 14 legislators. The principal opposition, Samajwadi Party, with 142 MLAs, even with the support of the Congress (16) and other smaller groups, can muster only around 180 votes in case of a showdown.

UNI

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