Mulayam wins trust vote

The Mulayam Singh Yadav government in Uttar Pradesh on Monday won a vote of confidence in the state Assembly.

The trust vote was a pre-emptive move, before the Allahabad high court verdict set aside the recognition of 40 rebel Bahujan Samajwadi Party legislators who had joined the ruling Samajwadi Party.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, meanwhile, claimed that the government was reduced to a minority in the wake of the verdict setting aside defection of BSP MLAs to the SP and demanded immediate dissolution of the state assembly and imposition of President's rule.

The Samajwadi Party, however, dismissed suggestions that the chief minister should resign in view of the court judgment and said it will discuss legal options.

Union Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal skirted a categorical reply on the issue of imposition of President's rule but said the court order will strengthen people's faith in democracy.

"This decision would restore the already receding faith of people in the democratic system," he said.

SP general secretary Amar Singh rejected the demand. "The central government should have resigned in the wake of the Bihar assembly dissolution judgment. Did they do so?" he said, adding, "We will discuss all the legal options."

Suspended SP MP from Agra Raj Babbar said the court order on the BSP MLAs were not a defeat for the party but against the 'culture of buy and sale'.