It146;s all Maya

It is a strange exhibition of parliamentary democracy. The House last met in February, and then too set more precedents than the Constitution would have wanted it to. During a debate on a confidence vote, the chief minister suddenly arrived at the chamber of Speaker Kesari Nath Tripathi. It was a private, 40-minute meeting.

Mayawati was there to deliver a message. What it was soon became clear.

As Kesri remained in his chamber, the presiding officer 8212; in the speaker8217;s chair in Kesri8217;s absence 8212; rushed through the remaining agenda. He declared a majority for the Mayawati government through a voice vote and then adjourned the house.

It was the first time a confidence vote had been decided by voice vote 8212; legislators shouting 8216;8216;aye8217;8217; and 8216;8216;nay8217;8217; in a typical Hindi heartland din8212; rather than a reasoned division process, with every MLA trooping in orderly to cast his vote.

It had been, in many ways, a remarkable session. The debate on the vote of thanks on the governor8217;s address was scheduled to last five days. It was guillotined in two, with an angry opposition protesting in the House till 4 a.m.

Then, as now, Mayawati8217;s plan seemed clear: seek a vote-on-account, get legislative sanction for funds for three months and tell the MLAs to go home. As things stand, Uttar Pradesh is likely to go through 2004 without the government bothering to present a formal budget.

Speaker Tripathi, a constitutional lawyer when not a politician, discounts such talk. 8216;8216;So far the government has not made any request for a vote on account,8217;8217; he says, adding, 8216;8216;But it is also true the Mulayam Singh government in the past survived for eight months on votes of account.8217;8217;

Part of the reason the assembly is not meeting is because Mayawati is not sure of her majority. The BSP and BJP have a combined strength of 200 MLAs, including two members from the Loktantrik Congress, a BJP ally. The house is 403 strong and the majority mark is 202.

The government is surviving on independents. During a long 8212; some would say normal 8212; assembly session, the opposition could 8216;8216;work on8217;8217; these independents. Mayawati could lose her majority mid-session. No wonder she8217;s not taking chances. She just ensures the assembly rarely, if ever, meets.

It8217;s most peculiar; but in Uttar Pradesh, they call it politics.

The 16 independent legislators hold the key to both Mayawati8217;s government and any possible alternative. The independent MLAs are hardly models of probity and consistency. Three are in jail and one is on the run, wanted by the law.

In short, they are completely unreliable. Nobody knows how they may vote in a formal assembly session. On her part, Mayawati doesn8217;t even want to find out.