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The decision of the 12 dissident Bharatiya Janata Party legislators to withdraw support to the Mayawati government in Uttar Pradesh may attract provisions of the anti-defection law, a party leader claimed on Friday.
On Thursday, the 12 MLAs had conveyed their views to Governor Vishnukant Shastri.
The catch is that action can be taken against them only if they have given their views in writing, which they did not do.
Sources in the Raj Bhavan had clarified that the legislators had merely demanded the restoration of democratic conventions and adherence to constitutional norms.
Consequently, the BJP leader told rediff.com, the Mayawati government would survive but its fragility had been made apparent.
However, if assembly Speaker Kesrinath Tripathi is convinced that they had violated the party whip on the floor of the house, the MLAs could be disqualified under the anti-defection law, he said.
Secondly, according to another provision of the anti-defection law, a legislator may risk losing the membership of a party if he crossed over to another party or block.
The BJP leader pointed out that a precedent had been set in Maharashtra some months ago when the assembly speaker disqualified a few MLAs of the ruling coalition when they were found to be hobnobbing with opposition parties.
After vacillating over the course of action to be adopted against the dissidents, the BJP leadership is now trying to defuse the crisis fearing a reluctant Congress might finally extend support to Mulayam Singh Yadav's Samajwadi Party to form the government.
"All this (the crisis) is the handiwork of the big three," the leader said explaining the sorry plight of the BJP in Uttar Pradesh.
He was referring to senior leaders Rajnath Singh, Lalji Tandon and Kalraj Mishra, all of who are vying to emerge as the party's top leader in the state.
He said the central leadership was 'extremely upset' with their reluctance to close ranks despite the circumstances the party is faced with.
"To cap it all, even state party chief Vinay Katiyar appears to have his own agenda," he added.
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