Mulayam wins trust vote in UP

Aided by opposition resignations, boycott and walk out, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav on Monday won a trust vote in the Assembly.

The chief minister won the trial of strength by a voice vote in the absence of the opposition, the 22nd time he has done so in less than four years.

While the all the BSP MLAs had submitted their resignations to party chief Mayawati a few days ago, the Congress and RLD members boycotted the proceedings, claiming that the government had been rendered unconstitutional and illegal after the Supreme Court judgment disqualifying 13 breakaway BSP MLAs.

The Congress had earlier decided that its members would submit their resignations to party president Sonia Gandhi.

The BJP members staged a walk out in the House before the motion was put to vote by Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey.

Though the number of members supporting the Mulayam government could not be known as no lobby division took place on the motion of trust moved by the Chief Minister, senior Samajwadi Party member Naresh Agarwal claimed that the number was about 213-214.