The Hindu : We will sit in Opposition, Rajnath tells Governor

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 01, 2002

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National

We will sit in Opposition, Rajnath tells Governor

By J.P. Shukla

LUCKNOW FEB. 28 The Uttar Pradesh BJP Legislature Party leader and caretaker Chief Minister, Rajnath Singh, today communicated to the Governor, Vishnu Kant Shastri, his party's decision to sit in the Opposition in the new Assembly. The BJP would not extend support to any party in the formation of a government, Mr. Singh told the Governor, asked about the BJP's stand in the post poll scenario.

The Governor had taken the first step in an attempt to explore the possibility of forming a stable government in the State by inviting Mr. Singh for consultations. The BJP-led alliance has won 107 seats in the Assembly which has a strength of 403.

Mulayam Singh Yadav, leader of the Samajwadi Party, which emerged as the single largest party in the elections winning 143 seats, called on the Governor on Wednesday to stake his claim to form a government. While Mr. Yadav wanted a month to prove his majority on the floor of the Assembly, the Governor asked him to submit a list of his supporters in the new House. Mr. Yadav said the question of submitting the list of supporting MLAs was irrelevant.

The Governor was not convinced with the argument of the Samajwadi Party and he announced that he would have consultations with the leaders of other parties also to explore the possibility of constituting a stable government which was his constitutional responsibility.

While the views of the BJP had been orally communicated to him by Mr. Singh, he had wanted the same in writing, Mr. Shastri said, talking to newspersons after his meeting with the Chief Minister.

The Governor said he had received a letter from the Bahujan Samaj Party leader, Mayawati, through her secretary saying that her party would not support any party, the Samajwadi Party in particular, in the formation of a new government. He would also try to have a personal meeting with Ms. Mayawati to have her party's stand on the issue, Mr. Shastri said.

Mr. Shastri reiterated that he would try to elicit the views of every party leader in writing to arrive at a conclusion. He had started the process of consultations but the leaders of the BSP and the Congress were not available in Lucknow.

Only the Samajwadi Party and the BJP have so far formally elected their leaders in the new Assembly. Meetings of the newly-elected MLAs of the BSP and the Congress have been called in New Delhi.

Mr. Shastri said he would complete the process of consultations with various party leaders within four or five days, after which he would once again talk to the Samajwadi Party leader.

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