Opp walks out, Mulayam wins confidence vote

Amid cross-voting and boycott by the Opposition, the Mulayam Singh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party government won a crucial trust vote in the Assembly today, mustering a comfortable support of 223 members in a House of 404.

The Congress, which had recently withdrawn support to the government, boycotted the proceedings of the House, along with some members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

The ruling coalition got 223 votes in its favour during a lobby division, even after it had won the confidence motion by a voice vote. At least 17 MLAs, 10 of the BJP, four of the BSP and three of the RLD crossed their sides and voted in favour of the ruling coalition.

Earlier, the state government enjoyed support of 152 SP, 33 of Loktrantrik Bahujan Dal, 12 of 22 Independents, two UP Loktrantrik Congress and one CPI (M) members. The Opposition now comprises the BJP (83), BSP (67), Congress (15), RLD (15), Akhil Bharatiya Congress (one) and Hindu Mahasabha (one).

Two seats are vacant at present, while nine members have no voting rights (five of LBD and four of SP), who were earlier disqualified by the Speaker, but judiciary had put a stay on the ruling.

The chief minister sought a vote on the motion of thanks to the Governor's address and said the same be treated as a vote of confidence to his government. While the two motions were passed by a voice vote, the ruling party sought a Lobby Division from the speaker.

Later, talking to media persons the chief minister said the vote of confidence was necessitated after the RLD and Congress withdrew support from the government earlier this month and there was confusion whether the government had lost majority. "If required, the government will seek more confidence vote in future," he said.

The state Cabinet had decided to go for the winter session after RLD withdrew three of its ministers from the ruling qualition over poor hike in state administered price of the sugarcane by the government on January 9 and later withdrew its support from the government on January 18. On the other hand, Congress also withdrew its technical support on January 18.

The Opposition had escaped from certain defeat in the vote of confidence vote by boycotting the House, he said and he gave his reply to the motion of thanks on Governor's address without their presence.

In his about two hour long reply to debate on motion of thanks, he rejected the charges leveled by the Opposition, particularly about the law and order situation. He claimed that UP was safer than any other state. Giving a comparative chart of crime in other states, he said it was a conspiracy hatched by the Opposition to defame UP.

Criticising the Centre, he said they were delaying the funds, so that the development works in the state were affected. ''The Congress has the mentality to keep the people of the country illiterate and poverty stricken, so that they can use them as a vote bank,'' he said adding this was the reason why Rae Bareli, the constituency of Congress president, was one of the most backward districts in the state till now.

Admitting his state government had taken extra care for the development of his native village Saifai in Etawah district, Chief Minister said it should be a lesson for all the leaders not to forget their village and they should also try to develop it. Taking a dig on the RLD, the SP supremo said it could be termed as 'turncoat' of the political system in UP, as it was the most opportunist party.

February 12 has been fixed as the next day of the session.