Lucknow, May 31: Congress today claimed the support of several BJP MLAs to the opposition's bid to dislodge the Mayawati government and said the opposition enjoyed support of 210 in the 402-member Uttar Pradesh Assembly. "We are banking on the support of rebel BJP legislators against whom a disqualification petition is still pending before the Vidhan Sabha Speaker, and also some BJP ministers," Congress legislature party leader Pramod Tewari told reporters here.
Demanding a special session of the assembly for a fresh trial of strength, he said they could contemplate legal action to ensure that the assembly was conducted according to rules during a possible voting on the confidence or no confidence motion as the case may be.
Tewari said the opposition could also demand appointment of observers in the house for this purpose.
He said senior BJP leader Lalji Tandon's statement that there would be mid-term elections if the Mayawati government fell was reflective of his admission of defeat as he (Tandon) saw the writing on the wall.
Bureau Report