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Rebel moves SC, Cong ups ante
BSP MLA Rajendra Singh Rana, one of the 40 BSP rebel MLAs, moved the Supreme Court on Thursday against the High Court order asking the Speaker to decide afresh on the merits of the BSP's disqualification petition against 13 of them.
BSP MLA Rajendra Singh Rana, one of the 40 BSP rebel MLAs, moved the Supreme Court on Thursday against the High Court order asking the Speaker to decide afresh on the merits of the BSP's disqualification petition against 13 of them.
The Congress stepped up its demand for Mulayam Singh Yadav's resignation by urging the Governor to take note of the assembly Speaker's allegedly "partisan" role in interpreting the High Court's order.
"The Governor should intervene so that the constitutional provisions are maintained," said AICC spokeman Rajiv Shukla, reacting to the Speaker's move to recognise the BSP legislators as a separate group.
Meanwhile, former UPCC president Jagdambika Pal and Congress MLC Siraj Mehandi on Thursday urged Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey to reconsider his interim order with regard to seating arrangements of 40 BSP MLAs.
Addressing a joint Press conference, Pal and Mehandi said the Speaker should review his order in the backdrop of the verdict of the three-judge bench of the Allahabad High Court.
The High Court order has created a situation of flux in UP and the even the 16-member Congress hopes to cash in on this. Amid speculation that the state could go to polls even before 2007, the Congress would want a spell of President's Rule in the state to help it rebuild its image and appeal.
Along with other parties, the party will try to keep the pressure on Mulayam who, in turn, would try to counter it by reaching out to the Left.
UPCC chief Salman Khurshid admitted he was in touch with BSP leaders Satish Mishra. There were also reports that RLD's Ajit Singh was in touch with the Congress.