Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati got a boost on Thursday with a small outfit, Apna Dal, suffering a split and the breakaway group of three MLAs deciding to back her government.
The three Dal MLAs were sacked by party chief Sonelal Patel recently and two of them, Surendra Patel and Israr, decided to form a new party and elect its leader on March 31.
"We have decided to support the Bharatiya Janata Party-Bahujan Samaj Party alliance and had spoken to Atiq Ahmed [another Dal MLA] in this regard," Patel said.
A mafia don, Atiq Ahmed has been in detention under the National Security Act since his arrest on June 6, 2002. He represents Allahabad (West) constituency in the state assembly.
Sonelal Patel had sacked the trio saying they were 'playing in the hand of Mayawati'.
Decrying the decision of the party chief, Surendra Patel said Sonelal Patel had earlier asked all the three MLAs to support Mayawati government, but had later changed his stand.
"Sonelal Patel has a dictatorial attitude and wants to run the party at his whims and fancy," he said, adding, "frustrated with the autocratic attitude of Sonelal, the three legislators have decided to elect their new leader."