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RLD MLAs moved to Srinagar

By Our Staff Correspondent

RLD MLAs leaving Bhopal on Monday. — Photo: A.M. Faruqui

BHOPAL JUNE 2. The Rashtriya Lok Dal MLAs from Uttar Pradesh, after spending the last one week shuttling between Bhopal and Pachmarhi in Madhya Pradesh obviously trying to insulate themselves from manoeuvres aimed at horse-trading, left here today.

The MLAs, who reached here last week, checked out of Hotel Ranjit Lake View this afternoon and headed straight for the airport. At least nine RLD MLAs boarded a chartered flight for their onward journey. One of the MLAs said they were leaving for Delhi "fully united" and there was no possibility of any split in their party.

When contacted, airport sources said the nine MLAs had boarded a Deccan Aviation chartered aircraft, which landed at the Bairagarh airport around 3 p.m. and took permission from the Air Traffic Control to take off for Srinagar after a brief halt. (A PTI report from Srinagar said that the MLAs later arrived in the city.) The entire group of RLD MLAs could not board the chartered flight as the pilot was not ready to carry them all due to extreme weather conditions. Two more MLAs, along with as many escorts, who were left behind were taking the evening flight to Delhi.

Our New Delhi Special Correspondent writes:

The move to dislodge the Mayawati Government in U.P. is expected to gain momentum tomorrow with the arrival of the Samajwadi Party president, Mulayam Singh Yadav, here.

There is a likelihood of the key representatives of the four Opposition parties spearheading the campaign — the SP, the Congress, the Rashtriya Lok Dal and the Rashtriya Kranti Party — getting together to discuss their future strategy.

With word going around that attempts were being made to woo independents and the BJP's "dissatisfied" MLAs, the Mayawati Government today raided the house of the independent MLA, Raja Bhaiyya, who is already in jail under the Prevention Of Terrorism Act. According to SP sources, the residence of the Gauriganj MLC, Ashok Prabhat Singh, who is also being held under POTA, was also raided.

Although the Opposition is not revealing its cards, senior leaders insist that they would be able to prove their majority on the floor of the House if and when the Governor, Vishnu Kant Shastri, gave his decision on their demand for convening a session of the Assembly asking Ms. Mayawati to prove her majority. The Mayawati-led BSP-BJP coalition has 211 MLAs in a House of 402 even after Ajit Singh walked away from the Government with 14 of his MLAs. Of these, nine are independents and four from single-member parties.

Ms. Mayawati is on a five-nation tour abroad and will return on June 12. She is said to be watching the situation and is not likely to cut short her visit unless the situation so warrants.

'We are with Mayawati'

PTI reports from Lucknow:

Meanwhile, in a shot in the arm for Ms. Mayawati, nine independent U.P. MLAs, whom the Opposition claimed were ready to cross the floor, said today they would continue to support the Government. After the RLD walked out of the Mayawati Government, the Opposition claimed that some of the independent legislators were ready to cross over to them.

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Moves on to rope in U.P. BJP MLAs

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