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Sharat Pradhan in Lucknow
Bahujan Samaj Party vice-president Mayawati on Monday staked claim to head a coalition government in Uttar Pradesh with the Bharatiya Janata Party in the role of a principal partner. She was likely to be sworn in on May 4 after the revocation of President's rule in the state.
Shortly after meeting Mayawati and senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, Governor Vishnukant Shastri told a press conference that together with Mayawati's claim to form the government, he had "received letters of support to a BSP-led dispensation from the BJP, its allies as well as some independents."
Asked if any specific date had been fixed for the swearing-in, he said: "Well, we have just held a brief discussion on that and I am hopeful that the new government would be sworn in on May 4."
Shastri said it was now amply evident that Mayawati enjoys the support of as many as 211 members in the 403-member UP assembly, which currently has a strength of 399 members.
"Considering that the present strength of the state assembly is only 399, Mayawati requires just 200 MLAs for a simple majority....she is already well past that figure."
Giving the break-up, the governor said: "Apart from her own party's 98 members, Mayawati enjoys the support of 88 BJP MLAs, two each of the Janata Dal, Lok Jan Shakti Party and the Loktantrik Congress Party, 14 MLAs of the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and five independents."
Asked if he was convinced that the coalition would be able to provide a stable government, Governor Shastri said: "Well, prima facie there is reason to believe that they would."
Earlier, Mayawati and senior BJP leaders, including former chief minister Raj Nath Singh and state BJP chief Kalraj Misra, addressed a press conference at the BJP state headquarters.
Raj Nath Singh described his party's joint bid with the BSP for power as the outcome of a "burning desire on the part of both coalition partners to provide a popular government."
"The Samajwadi Party had emerged as the single largest party after the elections. But it failed to secure the desired numbers for a simple majority. Therefore, in order to prevent another election, which would have meant a heavy financial burden on the people of the state, the BJP and the BSP have got together," he said.
Mayawati, on her part, thanked the BJP for supporting her party's bid to form a government.
She said that her government would rule by consensus and there would be a coordination committee to ensure an interface between all coalition partners.
Asked to spell out her priorities, she said: "Law and order and all-round development would be my main priorities."
Mayawati made it clear that the BSP's 13 members in the Lok Sabh and four in the Rajya Sabha would extend support to the National Democratic Alliance government in Delhi from outside."
Expressing confidence that the coalition would have a smooth run in Lucknow, she said: "Hopefully, we will contest the next Lok Sabha elections together with our coalition partners."
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