UP Speaker slaps rebels with show-cause notice

The noose is tightening around the rebel BJP legislators in Uttar Pradesh. Assembly Speaker Kesari Nath Tripathi today slapped show-cause no...

The noose is tightening around the rebel BJP legislators in Uttar Pradesh. Assembly Speaker Kesari Nath Tripathi today slapped show-cause notices on the MLAs following a petition from the party seeking their disqualification from the House.

‘‘The petition was reviewed and found correct according to the Anti-Defection Act. Notices have been served on 10 BJP legislators with a directive that they should reply within a week,’’ Tripathi said.

The legislators served notices can, however, cast their vote for election to the Upper House seat on November 18. ‘‘The BJP leadership has not

urged me for an interim order to bar these legislators from voting for the Upper House seat,’’ Tripathi said.

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The rebel leaders, on their part, have taken their disqualifcation for granted and are seeking legal opinion. ‘‘We are seeking legal opinion and have also decided to continue our fight against the Mayawati government,’’ Kovid Kumar Singh, a BJP rebel said.

While senior leaders, who are holding regular parleys at the state BJP office to find a way out of the impasse, have dispersed from Lucknow, the Mayawati government’s troubles seem to be far from over.

Suspended Rashtriya Lok Dal legislator Samar Pal Singh is scheduled to meet Governor Vishnu Kant Shastri tomorrow. Sources said he might take two or more party MLAs along to express no confidence in the coalition government. ‘‘Wait for some time because this government has to go,’’ Singh said.

According to sources, the Governor might be forced to call a special session of the House if the 10 BJP legislators are disqualified and the RLD legislators too express no-confidence.

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Samajwadi Party leader Naresh Agarwal said his party will bring a no-confidence motion as soon as the Assembly holds a session. ‘‘A trial of strength on the floor of the House will expose the majority claim of the Mayawati government,’’ he said.