Lucknow, Aug 26: In an attempt to break the political logjam, Uttar Pradesh Governor Vishnu Kant Shastri tonight asked Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav to come up by tomorrow a list of MLAs and parties in support of his claim to form an alternative government even as Congress came out in support of him. The Governor began the exercise after chief minister Mayawati, in a surprise move, resigned urging Shastri to dissolve the state assembly for fresh elections.
Before Mayawati put in her papers, Yadav, whose party is the largest single group with 142 members in the 403-member house, met the governor and staked claim to form an alternative government, a day after BJP withdrew support to Mayawati ministry reducing it to a minority.
Yadav claimed he had the support of all Opposition parties in the state and would prove his majority. He also said he would be depending on support from 17 independents.
The Governor later sent a letter to Yadav asking him to come up by tomorrow with a list of the mlas to back his claim.

The Congress, which has 16 members, said its CLP leader Pramod Tiwari would meet the Governor tomorrow and convey to him the party's support to Yadav.
Rashtriya Lok Dal chief and former Union Minister Ajit Singh also met the Governor this evening and backed Yadav's bid for an alternative government.

Rashtriya Kranti Party headed by former UP Chief Minister Kalyan Singh had yesterday conveyed to the Governor its support to Yadav's party.
Ajit Singh said that the opposition parties would finalise their list of MLAs supporting Yadav as all of them had given unconditional backing to the SP chief to form a stable government in the state and "there is no confusion in it”.

"We have the number and will prove it on the floor of the house," he said.
Singh said that except BSP, which has 111 members and BJP, with a strength of 87, "all other legislators are with us”.

Bureau Report