New Delhi, April 22
The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) today gave indications of the hard bargaining it was carrying out with the BJP on the issue of government formation in UP by categorically stating that a Deputy Chief Minister would not be acceptable to it.

Bahujan Samaj Party leader Kanshi Ram ruled out the possibility of having any Deputy Chief Minister under Ms Mayawati to avoid parallel power centre. He was optimistic that the new UP Government would be formed within a week.

“The new government in UP will be formed in a week. The Chief Minister will be Mayawati. There will be no Deputy Chief Minister,” he told reporters adding that this was to avert a parallel power centre in the state like in 1997.

There has been widespread speculation that in the ongoing BJP-BSP talks for formation of the new UP Government, BJP has asked for posts of Deputy Chief Minister and Home.

Asked whether there were any problems in the power-sharing arrangement, particularly on the Deputy Chief Minister issue, Mr Kanshi Ram said “as far as I know there won’t be any problem. The government formation will be smooth”.

About the setting up of a coordination committee to ensure the smooth functioning of the state government, he said “the discussions are still continuing on the common minimum programme with the BJP”.

He expressed confidence that Ms Mayawati will remain in power for the full five-year term.

In another development senior BJP leader Lalji Tandon, who is a Deputy Chief Ministerial aspirant, on Monday took strong exception to BSP supremo Kanshi Ram ruling out the creation of the post of a Deputy Chief Minister in UP, saying he should not make an issue of this when talks are at a crucial stage.

“Mr Kanshi Ram is a senior leader and should not say such things when talks are at a crucial stage. Such things should not be made an issue,” he told a TV channel.

Mr Tandon said the BSP had repeatedly demanded that they should be trusted. “In that case, even if our party makes such a demand, shouldn’t they trust us?” he asked.