M A I N   N E W S

Mayawati to stake claim today
RLD falls in line, sends letter of support to PM

New Delhi/Lucknow, April 28
The clouds of uncertainty over the proposed Mayawati-led coalition government in Uttar Pradesh were blown over tonight when the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) sent to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee its letter of support.

Meanwhile, Union Coal Minister and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) president Ram Vilas Paswan said today in Kanpur that his party would extend support to the coalition government out of political compulsions. Now Bahujan Samaj Party Vice-President Mayawati will stake a claim to form the government and the swearing-in ceremony will take place within this week, state BJP President Kalraj Mishra said in Lucknow.

Earlier in the day, a kind of confusion prevailed over the formation the coalition government, comprising the BJP, the BSP and others, when a key constituent — the RLD of Union Agriculture Minister Ajit Singh — announced in the national Capital that it would not send its letter of support to the alliance leaders, but communicate its decision directly to state Governor V.K. Shastri.

Efforts to placate Mr Ajit Singh yielded results tonight when the RLD sends the letter to Mr Vajpayee.

“Our party has sent the letter of support to the Prime Minister, RLD sources said.

Meanwhile, BSP supremo Kanshi Ram and Ms Mayawati met Mr Vajpayee at his residence this afternoon and apprised him of the modalities of the alliance, comprising the BSP, the BJP and others.

Sources said in Lucknow that everything for a smooth run of the government had been discussed between BJP and BSP leaders and only some issues, particularly the allotment of portfolios, had to be sorted out before the oath-taking ceremony.

“The BSP-BJP Government in UP will be sworn in within this week,’’ Mr Mishra told UNI at the Lucknow airport after his arrival from New Delhi along with other party leaders.

Senior BJP leaders said in the Uttar Pradesh capital that Ms Mayawati would come from New Delhi tomorrow morning and submit the list of members, supporting the alliance, to the Governor.

Ms Mayawati was expected to stake claim today. The leaders citing reasons for “the delay” in government formation said the Governor would take his own time to invite Ms Maywati after talking to other alliance parties. Besides, the crucial voting on Gujarat in the Lok Sabha under Rule 184 on Tuesday is also understood to be a reason for the delay.

BJP sources said in Lucknow this evening that some hitches had arisen following conditional support the RLD.

The party was demanding a written assurance of the portfolios to the RLD in the government, the sources said

The RLD’s announcement had put both the BSP and the BJP in a tight spot since the letter of claim to be submitted by the leader of the coalition to the Governor has to be accompanied by a list of MLAs supporting the government. Ms Mayawati will stake claim to form the government tomorrow.

The support of the 14-member RLD is crucial to the coalition. In a 403-member House, the coalition requires the support of at least 199 MLAs since 3 seats are vacant and result on one is withheld by the Election Commission. The BSP and the BJP have 97 and 88 MLAs respectively, while the LJP was represented by one member in the House.

Meanwhile, the Nationalist Congress Party in New Delhi appealed to “secular’’ BSP MLAs to protest against the “unholy alliance’’ of the BJP and the BSP to form a government in Uttar Pradesh.

NCP general secretary Tariq Anwar, in a statement, said Ms Mayawati had gone back on her pre-poll declaration before the electorate that her party would have no alliance with the BJP.

Senior Congress leader and former Uttar Pradesh Governor Motilal Vora said in Bhopal that the coalition between the BJP and the BSP in Uttar Pradesh was “politics of convenience’’. UNI

Kanshi, Mayawati meet Vajpayee

New Delhi, April 28
BSP leaders Kanshi Ram and Mayawati today met Prime Minister Atal Behari amid last-minute confusion in the formation of the coalition government in UP since the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) has not yet given its letter of support.

Both leaders went to the Prime Minister’s residence this afternoon to apprise him of the modalities of the alliance. UNI

RKP to boycott oath-taking ceremony

Etah, April 28
Former UP Chief Minister and Rashtriya Kranti Party (RKP) President Kalyan Singh said today his party would boycott the oath-taking ceremony of the incoming BSP-BJP Government in the state.

“This alliance is an insult to the people’s mandate,” Mr Kalyan Singh told newspersons here, adding that this deal of unprincipled politics would not last long.

“It is an opportunistic alliance under which the development of the state would just not be possible”, he added.

Mr Kalyan Singh had come here to convey condolence to the bereaved family members of Etah Nagar Palika Chairman and RKP leader Anupam Kumar Gupta who was killed in the town on April 24. He apprehended some political conspiracy behind Mr Gupta’s murder and demanded a CBI inquiry into the case. UNI