NEW DELHI, 1 March 2006 — Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav yesterday won a vote of confidence in the state assembly hours after the Allahabad High Court set aside the defection of 40 BSP MLAs to the ruling Samajwadi Party.
Boycotted by the opposition, the treasury benches won the vote in a division in which 207 members, including 40 MLAs whose defection to SP has been struck down by the high court, supported the motion of confidence in the 403-strong house. None voted against the motion as opposition BSP and congress MLAs staged a walk out before it was put to vote while the BJP did the same later.
However, in the wake of the Allahabad High Court verdict setting aside the defection of BSP MLAs to the ruling SP, the BJP demanded immediate dissolution of the state assembly and imposition of president’s rule.
The Samajwadi Party, however, dismissed suggestions that the chief minister should resign in view of the court judgement and said it would discuss legal options.
BJP chief Rajnath Singh told reporters here that after the order of the Lucknow bench of the high court, Mulayam Singh government has been reduced to a minority. Therefore, the “state assembly should be dissolved and president`s rule be imposed immediately”.
Union Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal skirted a categorical reply on the issue of imposition of president`s rule but said the court order will strengthen people’s faith in democracy. “This decision would restore the already receding faith of people in the democratic system”, he told reporters.
