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Kalyan is buying MLAs, alleges Pal

Uttar Pradesh Loktantrik Congress leader Jagdambika Pal today alleged that Chief Minister Kalyan Singh was desperately indulging in horse-trading and kidnapping of legislators to win a majority in the Vidhan Sabha tomorrow.

Talking to newsmen in Lucknow, he said the Bharatiya Janata Party was using unfair means to garner the majority required. Money power was being used freely to lure the legislators, he further charged.

Pal, however, claimed that he still enjoyed the support of 235 MLAs who included legislators of the Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Janata Dal-Rajaram and a majority of Loktantrik Congress members.

Pal, who maintains he is still chief minister, has expressed serious doubts over the impartiality of Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kesrinath Tripathi.

The Supreme Court had ordered a 'composite floor test' in the asembly on Thursday and it was something new for the state assembly. "Still the speaker did not bother to consult me about the modality of the floor test," he pointed out.

"I had a telephonic talk with the speaker regarding this but he never gave me the details of the composite floor test," Pal complained, adding, "If the speaker is not impartial in the procedure to be followed, how can he be impartial during voting?"

The Loktantrik Congress leader said, "The ideal thing on the part of the speaker would have been to invite Kalyan Singh and me and after consulting with us, chalk out and finalise the modalities of the floor test."

In reply to a question, Pal said he would write to the Supreme Court his apprehensions over the fairness and partiality of the speaker.

"I shall also demand the Supreme Court to send its observers to supervise the proceedings of the house tomorrow," he added.

Pal said Kalyan Singh might resort to any tactics, but Loktantrik Congress leader Naresh Agarwal would ultimately come to his (Pal's) side.

UNI

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