SP damage control efforts on, minister refuses coming back

Lucknow, Mar 3 (UNI) A day after the ruling dispensation led by Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh launched a damage control excercise, in the wake of five rebel BSP MLAs including two ministers rejoining the BSP, the SP leadership today asserted there was no threat to Mulayam Singh Yadav government in the state.

''We have already paraded 29 MLAs from the group of 40 before the media, besides claiming support of 33 MLAs and the others have expressed willingness to come back to party fold,'' SP General Secretary and state PWD Minister Shivpal Singh told UNI here this morning.

The efforts of the SP to win back the five disgruntled MLAs, however, suffered a body blow, when Jaiveer Singh, one of the Ministers whose coming back to ruling fold was claimed last night, today denied any such move.

Mr Jaiveer Singh claimed that his going back to the Samajwadi Party was out of question.''What I have said before the Governor is final and there is no going back to SP,'' he maintained.

It may be recalled that the five MLAs -- including two ministers Surendra Vikram Singh and Jaiveer Singh, Dharam Pal Singh heading UP State Poultry and Livestock Corporation, Ramji Shukla and Ram Krishna, heading UP Development Systems Corporation (UPDESCO) -- had handed letter to the Governor, announcing their decision to quit the SP and to rejoin the BSP.

These five are the part of 40 rebel BSP MLAs involved in the the case in which the Allahabad High Court had given verdict of February 28, last while referring back the matter to the Assembly Speaker.

The CM, however, is yet to accept the resignation of any of the two ministers and heads of state corporations.

UNI SB ARS PA SND1244