Lucknow up for grabs again

‘‘I have sought the opinion of legal experts before making up my mind on the two letters submitted to me from the Bhartiya Janata Party leader Lalji Tandon and Chief Minister Mayawati,’’ said the Governor.

As the BJP leadership weighs its options following dramatic developments at Lucknow, UP appears to be heading for another spell of President’s rule. The Assembly may be kept in suspended animation till the BJP makes up its mind on whether to go in for fresh elections or to allow Samajwadi party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav to form an alternative government.

The BJP parliamentary board will meet tomorrow morning to take a final view. The Union Cabinet is likely to meet later and take a formal decision, if needed.

One thing is certain: the Centre would not oblige Mayawati by dissolving the state Assembly and letting her stay on as a caretaker chief minister. Nor is the party inclined to go in fresh elections right away.

Therefore, Governor Shastri may either dismiss Mayawati on the basis of the withdrawal of support by the BJP or ask her to prove her majority in the Assembly. She has already convened an Assembly session from August 28 but is bound to fail the floor test.

Mayawati is clearly prepared to bow out of office. Seeing herself cornered in the ongoing CBI inquiry in to the Taj Heritage coridoor controversy, she has given it a political colour to take advantage of the situation. Since developments in the case could have forced her to resign later, Mayawati has made a smart move to prepare her defence.

At the end of the day, as the two coalition partners take stock, it is all gains for Mayawati. She has a consolidated base and a re-oiled party machinery after a year in office. For the BJP, it is all losses: its credibility dented, cadre disgruntled and upper-caste base eroded. The sole purpose of alliance, to garner Dalit votes in the next Lok Sabha polls riding piggyback, has been shattered.

Now, the BJP would like to keep the initiative in its own hands rather than offering UP to Mulayam Singh Yadav on a platter. Even if the BJP lets Yadav form a Government at a later stage, it would not be without some sort of secret understanding.

It suits him and the BJP both to eliminate the Congress so that between themselves they can divide the Muslim and upper caste votes, respectively.

The Congress has little choice: it would wish for a President’s rule to regain its lost base. However, the Congress can not position itself against a coalition with Yadav post-Shimla conclave. Therefore, the party would publicly demand the Governor invite Yadav to form a government.

The day unfolded in Lucknow the way Mayawati had scripted. The Chief Minister’s Office at Shastri Bhawan, which normally becomes functional by 11 a.m., was bustling with activity from 9 a.m.

All officials were present and Mayawati arrived half an hour later at her fifth floor office. Just 20 minutes after the cabinet meeting, the outcome was written on the faces of the BJP ministers who were the first to come out. ‘‘Ask her about the outcome and not me,’’ said Lalji Tandon, state urban development minister.

Sources said that Mayawati, while presiding over the cabinet meeting, read out four proposals for approval of the cabinet and then suddenly started reading the text of the letter which she later submitted to the Governor recommending dissolution of the House.

‘‘We will have to talk to our high command first on the issue,’’ objected Irrigation Minister and senior BJP leader Om Prakash Singh but it did not stop Mayawati from reading out the text.

The objection from the BJP ministers had no meaning for the CM as the signature of each member was taken on a blank paper before the meeting — as has been the tradition.

‘‘The cabinet has decided that the present House should be dissolved with immediate effect (the copy of the approval enclosed). The cabinet recommends the Governor for the dissolution under section 174 (2b) of the Constitution and arrangement should be made for election of the new House,’’ she wrote in the letter.

‘‘Over three dozen legislators of the SP are ready to leave the party for becoming ministers while an equal number of BJP legislators are ready to fall in the opposition dragnet while 14 MLAs of the Lok Dal are negotiating with those in power and also the opposition to improve their stakes. This uncertainty should be ended and getting a new mandate has become a must,’’ she later said, addressing reporters.

The interrogation of the State Excise Minister Naseemuddin Siddique by the CBI in connection with the Taj Heritage Corridor on Sunday was the moment Mayawati was awaiting. Sources said that she had called a closed-door meeting of her party ministers at her official 5, Kalidas Marg residence late on Sunday night and told them about the decision but asked them to keep quiet. The BSP supremo Kanshi Ram was also present and later, both the BSP leaders finalised the text of the 30-page letter to the Prime Minister explaining reasons to end the third arrangement with his party (the first one was in 1995 and the second in 1997).

‘‘I have learnt through reliable sources that the BJP is trying to build up pressure on me on the Taj Heritage Corridor project so that it can bargain with the BSP for grabbing maximum seats in the Lok Sabha polls. This is against morality. Union Culture and Tourism minister Jagmohan had been saying that the state government was totally responsible for the lapses in the corridor project. This is an absolute lie behind which is a deep-rooted conspiracy,’’ she told her workers’ convention.

She said that she had been told that the BJP might withdraw its support to the government when she demanded Jagmohan’s dismissal. ‘‘I had decided not to extend the row and withdrew my demand that time but the decision was backed by a definite goal,’’ she said.

She stated in the letter that she backtracked because the Ambedkar museum was not completed and portraits of BSP ideologues had to be installed. ‘‘I have inaugurated that place on August 24 with all the portraits of BSP ideologues and now no one can change them,’’ she said.

Sources, however, said that Mayawati had definite information that she would be the next in line to be interrogated by the CBI and the BJP would then use the CBI as a tool to blackmail her.

‘‘I want to make it clear that no one could put any pressure on me ever since I entered the politics. The BJP stands nowhere for putting any pressure on me on any issue,’’ she said.

While Mayawati preferred to announce her decision to end the alliance on the loudspeaker, the BJP leaders tried to avoid the media.

Lalji Tandon, who had submitted the letter of withdrawal of support to her government even before the CM could give her letter to the governor, slipped out of the Raj Bhavan through its backdoor to avoid the media.