The Hindu : Cong. studying legal options against Mayawati Govt.

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 07, 2003

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Cong. studying legal options against Mayawati Govt.

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI MARCH 6. After exploring various options of challenging the Mayawati Government in Uttar Pradesh, the State unit of the Congress today brought its battle to the capital to discuss with the high command the possibility of moving the court against what transpired in the Assembly on Wednesday and seeking Presidential intervention.

The Congress Legislature Party leader, Pramod Tewari, and MLA, Louise Fernandes, told mediapersons here that there was a `complete breakdown of the constitutional machinery in the State'. Already, the Opposition has lodged its protest with the Speaker and the Governor. At its meeting with the Governor today, the Opposition called for convening the Assembly to take up the vote of no confidence.

While in the capital, the Uttar Pradesh Congress leaders will discuss with the party leadership the merits of moving the court against what transpired in the House on Wednesday.

Their contention was that the proceedings in the House on Wednesday was testimony to the fact that the Chief Minister, Mayawati, was not confident of surviving the vote of no confidence moved by the Opposition against her Government.

Both leaders made much of the fact that the reply to the Governor's address, the vote on account, the supplementary grants and the no-confidence motion were wrapped up within a quarter of an hour without any discussion.

Describing this as unprecedented, Mr. Tewari said the rules mandated that the reply to the Governor's address be put to vote after four days of discussion.

Questioning the haste with which the necessary business was dispensed with before the Assembly was adjourned sine die, Mr. Tewari said it was evident that a sizeable number of MLAs of the BJP and the Lok Dal were not one with the Government.

According to Mr. Tewari, despite the Opposition asking for a lobby division on the vote of no confidence to ensure that the verdict of the Assembly was not lost in the din, the motion was taken up and declared defeated without any discussion amid chaos.

``If the Government was confident of surviving, why did it not allow discussion on the no confidence motion?''

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