Uma Bharti's resignation accepted

Jabalpur, May 6 (UNI) Madhya Pradesh Assembly Speaker Ishwardas Rohani has accepted the resignation of former chief minister Uma Bharti from membership of the vidhan sabha.

The firebrand sadhvi recently constituted the Bharatiya Janshakti Party.

''I telephoned Ms Bharti and asked her whether she put in her papers from Bada Malehra (in Chhatarpur district) without succumbing to pressure. She responded in the affirmative,'' he told UNI here.

Mr Rohani yesterday directed the assembly secretariat to initiate further proceedings.

Ms Bharti quit on May 3, which was her 48th birthday. Last Sunday, she formed her party at the ancient temple town Ujjain amidst a mammoth crowd exceeding 20,000 and in the presence of several political bigwigs, including former Delhi chief minister Madan Lal Khurana who was expelled from the BJP.

On December 8, 2003, Ms Bharti took oath as this state's first woman chief minister. Eight months later, she had to bow out of ofice in the wake of issuance a non-bailable warrant for her in the Hubli rioting case. Ms Bharti was expelled from the BJP for indiscipline in November last year.

UNI RG-AC RL GC1112