The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Tuesday, February 26, 2002, Chandigarh, India

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BJP to sit in Oppn in UP
SP seeks one month to prove majority
S. Satyanarayanan & Girja Shankar Kaura
Tribune News Service

Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Raj Nath Singh and his state party chief Kalraj Mishra come out after attending BJP's Parliamentary Board meeting at Prime Minister's residence in New Delhi on Monday.

BJP President Jana Krishnamurthi talks to the media after attending BJP's Parliamentary Board meeting at Prime Minister's residence in New Delhi on Monday. — PTI photos

New Delhi, February 25
Speculation over whether or not the BJP would extend support to the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in Uttar Pradesh has been put to the rest for the time being, with the former today deciding to sit in the opposition and “not supporting anyone”.

A decision to this effect was taken at the BJP’s Parliamentary Board meeting chaired by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee at his residence here.

“After due discussion about the post-election scenario in all the three states, the board has concluded that the people’s verdict is not only to be accepted but also respected. The people have entrusted us the task of functioning as opposition party in all three states — Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal and Punjab,” BJP President Jana Krishnamurthi told newspersons soon after the meeting.

Today’s decision of the BJP will come as a shock for BSP chief Mayawati, who according to sources, had yesterday informally sought the support of the BJP from outside in Uttar Pradesh and, in turn, offered to support from outside the Vajpayee Government at the Centre.

The Samajwadi Party (SP), the single largest party after the legislative Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, today pleaded for time from state Governor Vishnu Kant Shastri to prove its majority even as there were indications of Congress’ willingness to lend support to the Mulayam Singh Yadav.

While Mr Yadav cited the decades old example of former Chief Minister C.B. Gupta being given a month’s time to accumulate numbers, its spokesperson Amar Singh declared that the party was ready to “build bridges” with any party in a bid to come to power in the country’s largest state.

Show numbers, Cong tells SP
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 25
The Congerss today indicated that it was not averse to supporting Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav form a government in UP if the Samajwadi Party seemed getting close to the half-way mark in the state Assembly.

Though the Congress has so far not responded to contacts made by CPM leader Harkishen Singh Surjeet for an understanding in the post-poll scenario in UP, the party has said that its “overarching ideological objective was to see that the government was not formed by or with the support of communal forces.

“Within the framework of this we will have to adopt our own tactical and strategic line,” Congress chief spokesman Jaipal Reddy said today.

Though Mr Reddy said that no other party was “communal” except those associated with the BJP, the Congress was discomfitured at the prospect of supporting a SP government in the company of Mr Kalyan Singh’s Rashtriya Kranti Party.

Asked if the Samajwadi Party’s not supporting Congress’ bid to power at the Centre would now come in the way of Congress supporting him, Mr Reddy said, “We will not allow history to be a burden. The Congress learns from history, it does not live in the past.”

Asked if the Congress wanted President’s rule to be imposed in UP, Mr Reddy said that the party did not want to say anything at this stage. On the statement of UP Governor Vishnu Kant Shastri about not necessarily inviting the largest single party in UP to form a government, Mr Reddy said that the UP results had thrown up a puzzling situation and it had not reached a stage where conclusions could be drawn.