Maya rebels help, Mulayam Cong-proof

In Lucknow, which way the wind was blowing was clear from the caste composition of the BSP rebels—37, or just one-third of the party’s 109 members, thus fulfilling the requirement of the anti-defection law. Among those who have left Mayawati are 13 of the BSP’s Thakur MLAs, four of its seven Brahmin legislators and nine of its 16 Muslim members.

Also among the 37 who walked to the Speaker’s chambers to express their support for the Samajwadi Party (SP) were murder-accused Amar Mani Tripathi, and Mukhtar Ansari, a TADA convict. But Mulayam wasn’t wasting time on niceties as the 240 figure he has notched up in a House of 403 includes POTA accused Raja Bhaiyya, Dhananjay Singh and Ateeq Ahmed (all Independents, all in government hospitals under police custody).

The remaining Independents have also signed over support to the SP. However, a special court has rejected Raja Bhaiyya’s plea to attend the Assembly session. The breakaway BSP group, that named itself Loktantrik BSP, also gave Speaker Kesari Nath Tripathi a list of six MLAs who they claimed were willing to cross over. They added the Loktantrik BSP was a short step to merger with SP. Tripathi declined to confirm the split without consulting BSP leaders.

Defending his decision, Amar Mani, who was removed as minister by Mayawati following allegations of his involvement in the Madhumita Shukla murder case, said: ‘‘We have extended support to ensure stability in the state so that the Mulayam government can focus on development.’’

Mulayam’s new majority is set to change the existing equations of the SP with the Congress. The SP chief has been kept on tenterhooks by the Congress over whether its MLAs would join his government. Now it’s the Congress’s turn to have sleepless nights over whether its MLAs, all 16 of whom have been pleading for berths in the Cabinet, may switch to SP. The new figures put BJP ahead of BSP as the main opposition as it now has 87 MLAs to the latter’s 72.

Reacting angrily, the BSP said it would oppose the new government. ‘‘The government has been formed with monetary support of business houses like Godrej, Ambanis and Sahara. We have already challenged in the apex court the decision of the Governor in not going for dissolution of the House and now we will be moving a fresh application for disqualification of BSP turncoats,’’ said Swami Prasad Maurya, BSP legislature party leader. The plea will be heard in the Supreme Court on Monday, the same day as the trust vote.