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BJP confident of proving majority in UP assembly

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday claimed that the Kalyan Singh ministry in Uttar Pradesh still enjoyed majority support, and there was no threat to the coalition government despite the withdrawal of support by the Loktantrik Congress.

BJP vice-president Kishan Lal Sharma told reporters that the breakaway group of the Bahujan Samaj Party continued to back the state government. He expressed confidence that the BJP and allies would prove their majority on the floor of the state assembly.

The BJP leadership has sought an appointment with the President to apprise him of the UP situation.

Sharma disputed the claim of the Loktantrik Congress and the Janata Dal that the Kalyan Singh government had been reduced to a minority and maintained that 'except for the leaders, the MLAs of the supporting parties were intact'.

In reply to a question, Sharma said the developments in Lucknow would not affect the party's prospects in the second round of polling scheduled on Sunday -- the episode, in fact, has strengthened the party's stability plank.

The BJP leader came down heavily on the Congress's claim that the governments in Maharashtra and Rajasthan would fall in a few days.

Sharma said there should be no doubt that the Congress, which had lost all hope to get a majority in the Lok Sabha, had resorted to destabilising state governments.

''We will not let them succeed in their plans. Hum eent ka jawab pathar se denge'' (we will hit back with vengeance)," he said.

Sharma cautioned the people against such forces which wanted instability in the country and therefore did not want the BJP to come to power.

In his letter to the President, UP Chief Minister Kalyan Singh said the numbers and the names given by the Loktantrik Congress and the Janata Dal faction were not correct.

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Kisan Kamgar Party has demanded Kalyan Singh's immediate resignation on moral grounds.

BKKP spokesman Dhirendra Pratap said Kalyan Singh had no right to continue in office now.

The Communist Party of India, for its part, demanded the CM's dismisal if he refused to resign. The legislative assembly should be kept in suspended animation, it said.

UNI

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