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Governor to take his own time on Mulayam's claim

Sharat Pradhan in Lucknow

Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav staked his claim to form the next government in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday, and sought a month's time to prove his majority on the floor of the assembly.

But in the absence of a corroborative list of supporting legislators, Governor Vishnukant Shastri has decided to examine the claim before making any decision.

"It would have been better if he had submitted a list, but never mind, I will examine it and take a decision within the parameters of established democratic norms laid down by the Indian Constitution," Shastri said.

While not ruling out the possibility of large-scale horse-trading, the governor said, "I will leave no stone unturned to keep a check against any kind of horse-trading about which I have already expressed my concern with the SP chief."

Mulayam Singh, however, argued, "There is no need to submit a list of supporting MLAs. I am entitled to stake my claim by virtue of the Samajwadi Party emerging as the largest single party."

Citing precedents, he said, "In 1989, when the Congress declined to come forward to form the government at the Centre, the President invited the next largest party, the Janata Dal led by V P Singh, to form the government.

"Then in 1996, Atal Bihari Vajpayee was invited to form the government on the same ground and given 15 days to prove his majority on the floor of the House, in which he failed on the 13th day and bowed out."

Singh also cited a precedent from the 1960s when Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister C B Gupta was asked to prove his majority in the House, and the Supreme Court verdict in the S R Bommai case of the 1980s where a floor test was again emphasised.

The suspense created on account of the silence of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, on whose support the Samajwadi Party is heavily dependent, was writ large on Mulayam Singh's face. Yet, he insisted, "The fact that people of the state have given their mandate in favour of the Samajwadi Party is reason enough for us to be given an opportunity to form the government."

Governor Shastri continued to stick to his stand of treating 'stability' as the bottom line before taking a decision. "I still hold the view that stability is a major factor and before arriving at any decision I will invite leaders of all major parties for consultation and discussion," he told reporters.

Declining to specify a time frame for his decision, Shastri maintained, "I would like to ensure the formation of a new government as early as possible."

Asked if he would be inclined to recommend President's rule in case he did not see the possibility of a political combine putting together the desired numbers to provide stable governance, he said, "Well, imposition of President's rule can only be the last resort."

"Such a step," he clarified, "will be initiated only in the event of failure of every other possibility that I will make it a point to explore for formation of a constitutionally elected government."

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