The UP Vidhan Sabha yesterday barely averted a repeat of the physical clashes which had taken place during the SP-BSP rule three years ago.
The Samajwadi Party members, now in the opposition, were all set to clash with the BSP and the BJP and started shouting slogans as soon as the Governor started reading out his address. They demanded that the Governor should not read the address since it was not clear whose views it represented. Bhandari withdrew, after reading the first and the last few words of the address, which later on was taken as read by Speaker Kesri Nath Tripathi.
Once the House reassembled, the SP members and the two factions of the Congress party menacingly moved into the well and pushed the guards to the edge of the Speakers podium. The members were pushed back and after the Speaker ruled that the speech was in order, they staged a walkout.
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UF members later pointed out that the SP faction was all set for a clash. However, the opportunity did not arise. The slogans they were shouting were highly provocative. Laila Majnu Ki sarkar, Nahi chalengi Nahi chalengi, and Goonda-goonda ki sarkar Nahi chalegi, Nahi chalegi.
Only one BSP member tried to challenge them, but he was shouted down by the SP members.
Congress members raised a point of order, that the Governor had not even read his speech therefore whatever is done on the question of Governors address is null and void. The Speaker later ruled otherwise. The Congress looked a completely divided house with the Naresh Agarwal faction having greater support then the Pramod Tewari faction. They both tried to outbid each other in their opposition to the government. They conducted themselves totally independent of each other.
The Governors address was far less vituperative of the preceding Presidents rule then was originally planned. The initial draft contained not only the remark that there was a deterioration in law and order, but it also stated that the democratic norms were violated. The latter reference was dropped while the former was retained.
The otherwise drab speech of the Governor, which mainly listed the various programmes of the new government, contained some significant policy measures. It reiterated its resolve to once again pass a resolution on the formation of the state of Uttarakhand and send it to the Centre. It reiterated its resolve to garner extra resources of Rs 2,200 cr to fulfill its commitment of the annual plan of Rs 7,080 cr. Private engineering colleges will be opened and they will be have to be self reliant. A World Bank aided UP forestry plan will be implemented from November 1, 97 and a state womens commission will be established.
; Nazul land will be turned into a free hold land. World Bank aided Agricultural diversification support project will be started is 54 districts; sugar production will be increased.
While the Congress party was neatly divided into two factions, with one of them hobnobbing with the BJP, the Samajwadi Party saw a major change when the widely fancied and capable Reoti Raman Singhs claim to be the leader of the party in the Vidhan Sabha was overlooked in favour of Dhani Ram Verma. Verma hails from the home district of Mulayam Singh Yadav, Etwah. This ensured that the SP will not be properly led in the House.