Lucknow, Aug 03: Claiming that 22 legislators of the ruling coalition were in touch with the party, the Rashtriya Lok Dal today said that the Mayawati government in Uttar Pradesh would be toppled during the coming assembly session beginning later this month. Eighteen MLAs and four MLCs, some of them belonging to the BJP and the rest independents, are in touch with the RLD leadership. With their help, the opposition would pull down the Mayawati government during the assembly session, beginning on August 28, RLD sources said here. Ten BJP MLAs and independents met RLD president Ajit Singh in Lucknow on August 1, while six others met him in New Delhi yesterday. They said, "Some BSP legislators are also keen to switch sides for which they have sent feelers."
On BJP presenting three of its legislators before the media yesterday to deny such a meeting, who had reportedly met Singh on August 1, the sources said that the identity of the legislators in contact could not be revealed.

"We are working out a strategy and it will be unfolded only on the floor of the house," the sources said.
When asked who would be the chief minister in the event of formation of an alternative government, they said that a consensus was emerging on the name of Samajwadi party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav. "SP has the highest number of MLAs and he could be the natural choice as the leader," the sources said.
Leaders of all the opposition parties had met on August 1 in the state capital to chalk out strategies for the coming assembly session and formulate a blueprint of an alternative government.
Bureau Report