M A I N   N E W S

President’s rule in UP

New Delhi, March 8
Uttar Pradesh was today brought under Central rule and the newly constituted Assembly kept in suspended animation but it could be only for a short period in the wake of speculation that the BJP and the BSP could come together to form a government.

Nearly two weeks after the Assembly poll threw up a fractured verdict, President K. R. Narayanan put his seal of approval on the Union Cabinet’s recommendations.

Mr Narayanan signed the proclamation after considering the report of UP Governor Vishnukant Shastri and the Cabinet recommendations sent last night, a senior Home Ministry official said.

The proclamation, which has to be ratified by Parliament within two months, may not come up for parliamentary scrutiny with indications that the BSP and the BJP could possibly come together to form a government.

The BSP leader, Ms Mayawati, resigned her Lok Sabha seat yesterday saying that she was going to focus on UP and appeared to be soft on the BJP on issues like Gujarat and Ayodhya.

The Vajpayee Government is not confident that the presidential proclamation on UP will pass muster in the Rajya Sabha where the ruling combine does not enjoy a majority.

Uttar Pradesh has come under Central rule for the 10th time.

The state was put under President’s rule for a minimum duration of 18 days in October, 1970, while it remained under President’s rule for a maximum period of one year and five months in one stretch since October, 1995.

This was the first occasion when two spells of President’s rule were imposed on the state in immediate succession.

On October 17, 1996, President’s rule was reimposed when no political party managed to form the government due to fractured mandate in the 13th Vidhan Sabha.

The election for this Assembly was held under President’s rule itself.

The state faced Central rule for the first time in February, 1968. It lasted one year.

It witnessed President’s rule for nearly one year from December, 1992.

President’s rule was imposed for over four months in June 1973 and over three months from February 1980.

In April, 1977, the state saw Central rule for nearly two months while in November, 1975, it was there for almost the same period.

Altogether, Uttar Pradesh has been put under President’s rule for a total period of four years, five months and 24 days. Agencies