RLD ministers quit, deal a blow to Mulayam

Ending months of love-hate relationship, four Rashtriya Lok Dal Ministers on Tuesday resigned from the Mulayam Singh government dealing a severe blow to leader of the coalition, Samajwadi Party, ahead of the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.

The RLD Chief Ajit Singh, who announced his resignations at a press conference, said the alliance with Yadav-led SP and the government is over.

"All the four ministers of RLD have handed over their resignation letters to me. These will be given to Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav as soon as he returns to Lucknow," he said.

Asked if the 14-member RLD has decided to withdraw support to the Yadav government, he said it would be discussed at a party meeting later "but at the moment I can only say that the coalition has ended."

In a House of 401, Yadav's Samajwadi Party has 167 MLAs and had a majority of 242 when a vote was taken during financial business in the Assembly recently. Yadav also enjoys the support of some independents and MLAs of a breakaway BSP faction.