Cong, SP drift further away, Rajiv bridge can’t help

He gave the go-ahead for inauguration to a Samajwadi Party corporator on Sunday, forcing the Sonia camp to cancel the programme.

Congress leaders here are avoiding comment on the issue. ‘‘We in the Congress mean development and it does not matter for the party who is going to get credit for jobs aimed at benefiting the people,’’ state Congress chief Jagdambika Pal said.

While Mulayam foiled Sonia’s bid to inaugurate the bridge, the Congress had managed to scuttle the plan of the Mulayam government to open an Urdu University in Rampur by enacting a Bill in the state Assembly. Governor T.V. Rajeshwar had written to the CM on the issue, raising objection on a clause of the proposed university in which Parliamentary Affairs Minister Azam Khan was said to become the lifetime pro-chancellor of the proposed university.

Following the Governor’s objection on the issue, the Mulayam government thought it fit not to table the proposed Bill in the Assembly though it was listed in the agenda (item no 27) of Assembly proceedings on August 6.