Naidu Against Dismissing Mayawati Govt

United Front convenor and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has strongly objected to any demand for the dismissal of the BJP-BSP government in Uttar Pradesh saying the United Front was committed to stop the misuse of Article 356 of the Constitution.

Without getting into the controversy as to whether it was proper for Prime Minister I K Gujral to attend the June 19 rally organised by the Samajwadi Party in Lucknow, Naidu is believed to have said that the Samajwadi Party was well within its rights to agitate against the state government.

He is also understood to have said that SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav might ultimately not raise the demand for dismissal of Mayawati govrnment at the 19th rally.

 

The carefully worded observation of Naidu however expressed more in terms of what was unsaid than what was expressed. By implication, his obeservation made it clear that if Mulayam demanded for Mayawatis head at the rally or even outside, it would not be proper. Also, it would obviously not find Naidus favour if Gujral attended a rally in which such a demand is made.

The Samajwadi Party has started a campaign against the state government demanding its dismissal on the ground of break-down of law and order. The Front partner has been alleging large-scale torture and murder of its workers by the state agencies to politically check the growth of the party.

Prime Minister I K Gujral has promised to attend a SP rally in Lucknow on June 19 where demand to dismiss the state government is likely to be aired.

Naidu is of the view that the BJP-BSP government had a clear majority in the UP Assembly and it was not proper to demand its dismissal.Naidu even differentiats between the situation in Gujrat where the Centre had used Article 356 to dismiss the BJP government last year, from that of the situation in UP. In Gujrat, the ruling BJP had split into two reducing its strength leading to loss of majority in the Assembly whereas in UP, the BJP-BSP combine has a clear majority.