Date:02/11/2002 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2002/11/02/stories/2002110205060101.htm

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BJP rebels warned of disqualification

By Our New Delhi Bureau

NEW DELHI NOV. 1. The Bharatiya Janata Party today threatened to use the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution (the anti-defection law) as a weapon of last resort against its rebellious MLAs in Uttar Pradesh and prevent the tottering Mayawati Government from falling.

Meanwhile, the Congress continued to hold its cards close to its chest despite fervent pleas by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) that it spell out its stand clearly. The party continued to maintain that it would take the "appropriate decision at the appropriate time".

After a meeting of the BJP's central election committee at the residence of the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, which considered the party nominations for the Rajya Sabha, the top party brass went into a huddle to discuss the Uttar Pradesh developments.

The party president, Venkaiah Naidu, today did not rule out disqualification as a weapon. He indicated that what had happened in Maharashtra (where some MLAs were disqualified by the Speaker for going to the Governor to withdraw support to their own Government) could happen in Uttar Pradesh. The BJP senior general secretary, Arun Jaitley, stated categorically: "The developments attract the Tenth Schedule.'' But no one in the party was willing to say how soon such an action might be taken against the rebels.

Mr. Advani has also acknowledged that the developments are a source of acute embarrassment to the party which has often claimed to be disciplined. Mr. Advani admitted in Hyderabad yesterday that the U.P. imbroglio had dented the party's image.

The CPI(M) today said the BSP-BJP coalition Government had been reduced to a minority and had lost the right to continue in office. Addressing a press conference, the party general secretary, Harkishan Singh Surjeet, charged the BSP-BJP with continuing to cling to power.

Mr. Surjeet favoured an early Assembly session to test the majority of the Government and disapproved of the ruling coalition's threat to dissolve the Assembly.

In the Congress camp, Mr. Motilal Vora, AICC general secretary in-charge of U.P., held a series of party meetings here and was also in continual touch with the State unit. For the moment though, the maximum that the party spokesperson, Anand Sharma, was prepared to say was that the party would "welcome" a special session of the Assembly to test the strength of the Mayawati Government "if the Governor so decides". And naturally, if there was a test of strength, the Congress would vote against the Government.