BSP leader and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister designate Mayawati on Wednesday said the size of her coalition Ministry would be smaller compared to previous ones and ruled out joining the NDA Government at the Centre. "The size of the UP Ministry would be smaller this time compared to previous Governments," she told a news channel, apparently mindful of the criticism of the jumbo-sized ministries under BJP rule in the State.
Making it clear that the BSP-BJP alliance was limited to Uttar Pradesh only, Mayawati said "I do not want my MPs to become power hungry and that it why I have decided not to join the Governemnt at the Centre," a release from the TV Channel said.
She said that Muslim MLAs of BSP were not opposed to the BSP-BJP coalition in UP, she asserted not a single Muslim MLA was going to resign from her party and charged "people with vested interest" with making such claims.
Referring to BSP leader Arif Mohammad Khan's resignation from the party, she termed Khan as an "opportunist". "When he was refused ticket for Rajya Sabha, he left the party," the BSP leader said.
"There is no question of joining hands with Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav for the formation of Government in Uttar Pradesh," Mayawati said adding that she and her party could never forget the "murderous attack" on her in 1995.
On the Gujarat issue, she said that Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi should not resign. "This is a matter pertaining to the state and the Opposition should have taken up this issue in the state assembly." She demanded a high-level inquity into the Godhra incident.
Bureau Report