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Uttar Pradesh Governor Vishnukant Shastri on Wednesday night recommended the imposition of President's rule in the state, sources said.
He also recommended that the newly elected assembly be kept in suspended animation.
The governor sent his recommendation to the home ministry after coming to the conclusion that no political party was in a position to provide a stable government in the state, the sources said.
He had asked the Congress to clarify its stand on government formation by March 6.
Earlier in the day, Congress Legislature Party leader Pramod Tiwari indicated to reporters in Aligarh that his party might support the Samajwadi Party, which emerged as the single largest group with 145 members.
The Congress, he said, would not adopt a "negative posture" in case the SP took the initiative to form the government. "Let them take the first step and we will not be found failing in case all secular parties are mentally prepared to provide a government in UP," he said.
Interestingly, state Bharatiya Janata Party president Kalraj Mishra said his party favoured President's rule in UP and that "none should have any objection to this".
The SP had staked its claim for forming the government, but could not come up with a list of MLAs supporting it.
The BJP and its allies have 108 MLAs while the Bahujan Samaj Party accounts for 98 members. Both had declined to support any party in the formation of the government.
PTI