Other States - Uttar Pradesh   

Mayawati enters Vidhan Parishad

Special Correspondent

CM’s decision surprises partymen

Photo: Subir Roy

Giving final touches: Chief Minister Mayawati giving final touches to the State budget at the Secretariat annexe in Lucknow on Thursday.

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati was on Thursday elected unopposed to the Upper House of the State Legislature (Vidhan Parishad). State Cooperatives Minister Swami Prasad Maurya was also elected unopposed.

Thursday was the last date for withdrawal of nominations for the byelections to two vacant seats in the Upper House. Since no other candidates had filed their paperstheir unopposed election was announced by the Returning Officer, Rajendra Prasad Pandey.

The byelections were caused by the demise of Barkhu Ram Verma of Bahujan Samaj Party and Vikramaditya Pandey of Samajwadi Party. The term of the Chief Minister and Mr. Maurya will expire in July 2010.

Ms. Mayawati’s decision to contest the byelection had taken her partymen by surprise as it was widely anticipated that she would enter the Lower House (Vidhan Sabha). Some of her party MLAs had volunteered to vacate their seats, including Harora in Saharanpur district, to enable her to contest the byelection. BSP sources claimed that a Samajwadi Party MLA elected from a constituency in Hamirpur district had also volunteered to vacate his seat.

The Chief Minister had told newspersons after filing her papers on June 25 that though she was assured of her victory in the Vidhan Sabha byelection but on entering the Upper House she could devote more time to the development of the entire State.

Political observers believe that BSP’s loss in Khaga election was a big reversal for the party, which probably influenced her decision to enter the Upper House. Election in Khaga, Fatehpur district, was countermanded during the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls in April-May 2007, following the death of the Congress candidate.

The Khaga election was held on May 24, 11 days after Ms. Mayawati was sworn in as Chief Minister. The seat was won by the Bharatiya Janata Party.

The BSP candidate finished third. With a substantial presence of Dalits and OBCs, Khaga is considered a traditional BSP seat, but the almost en bloc voting by the Upper Castes, including the Brahmins, in favour of BJP sealed the rul ing party’s fate.

Ms. Mayawati is the fifth Chief Minister of the State to become an MLC after Ram Prakash Gupta of the BJP, Vishwanath Pratap Singh and Narayan Dutt Tewari of the Congress, and Tribhuvan Narain Singh of Sanyukta Vidhayak Dal.

Ms. Mayawati will present the first Budget of the newly-elected Government at 11 AM on Friday.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Fake FIRs being lodged, alleges SP
Mayawati enters Vidhan Parishad
Encephalitis claims 32 lives in U.P.
Fake currency pumped into western Uttar Pradesh areas
BJP demands CBI probe into blast
SP walkout over attack on MLA

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu