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Uttar Pradesh : Suspense over status of 40 MLAs |
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The Allahabad High Court has reserved its order on the petition seeking disqualification of 40 MLAs of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) who crossed over to the Samajwadi Party to help Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav get a majority in the Assembly. If the court order ultimately goes against the State Government, it will render the Mulayam Singh Yadav Government politically dependent on Ajit Singh’s Rashtriya Lok Dal and the Congress. The Samajwadi Party at present has 195 members, including the 40 MLAs whose disqualification has been sought, in the Assembly with an effective strength of 402. The Government also has the support of 14 MLAs of the Rashtriya Lok Dal, 16 of the Congress, two of the CPI(M) and 14 Independents. If the 40 MLAs are disqualified, it will place the RLD and the Congress in a position to dominate the coalition arrangement.
Observers are talking of various possibilities in such a scenario. For the Congress, a spell of President’s Rule following political instability, may come in handy to seek partners. Mayawati may also be able to play a crucial role in the formation of a new Government and even in the case of elections, if the Assembly has to be dissolved.
In a related development, Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav last week ordered a major administrative reshuffle, triggering speculation of the possibility of an early election in the state. The reshuffle involved 66 IPS officers and 26 IAS officers. It may be recalled that recently, while addressing a party workers’ convention, Mulayam Singh had asked his partymen to remain prepared for elections.
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