Jagdambika seeks more time to prove majority, will oust UP speaker
Uttar Pradesh's new chief minister, Jagdambika
Pal, says he will invite the supporting parties to join his
government after proving its majority in the state assembly.
The Loktantrik Congress leader, who was sworn in as chief
minister on Saturday night, said he had requested Governor Romesh Bhandari
to extend the deadline for seeking a vote of confidence till
February 27. Pal had, on Saturday, been told by the governor to
prove his majority in the assembly by Tuesday, February 24.
Jagdambika Pal told newspersons in Lucknow on Sunday that after securing
a vote of confidence, he would invite the Samajwadi Party, the
Congress and the Bahujan Samaj Party, which were supporting his
government, to join it.
All the non-BJP parties had extended unconditional support to his
government, he added.
The chief minister said all non-BJP parties had expressed lack of
confidence in assembly Speaker Kesri Nath Tripathi and demanded his
removal. The parties will proceed as per law to remove the speaker,
he added.
Jagdambika Pal said the non-BJP groups had supported his
government to oust the communal Bharatiya Janata Party. He said
when his group had supported the Kalyan Singh government five months ago,
it was with the hope that the government would give an impetus to
development work, as announced by Kalyan Singh in the House on
October 21.
However, after securing a majority, Kalyan Singh's government
put religious issues on top of the agenda and started talking about
passing a law for the construction of a temple at Ayodhya. All this
had led to a deterioration in the law and order situation, resulting
in communal clashes in Ferozabad and a few other places. The Kalyan
Singh government failed to check the crime situation also, he added.
Jagdambika Pal expressed confidence about his government
completing its tenure as it was supported by all major political
parties. He said development work would be given priority by his
government and there would be no scope for corruption in it.
At Tikamgarh in Madhya Pradesh, Samajwadi Party president
Mulayam Singh Yadav said though his party was extending
support to the newly formed Jagdambika Pal government in Uttar
Pradesh, it would take a decision on joining the ministry only after
February 28.
Talking to reporters, Yadav said, "There was nothing
unconstitutional" in governor Romesh Bhandari's action of
dismissing the Kalyan Singh government after it was reduced to a
minority following withdrawal of support by the Loktantrik Congress
and Janata Dal-Pandey.
Earlier, addressing a public meeting at Guna, he said the BJP
did not have any right to protest against the dismissal as the same
party had supported then governor Motilal Vora's action of sacking
his government in 1995 without giving an opportunity to prove
majority on the floor of the house.
Yadav expressed confidence that the Pal government would prove
its majority in the Vidhan Sabha.
UNI
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