UP winter session to have 4 sittings; Mulayam may prove majority

Lucknow, Jan 17 (UNI) The winter session of the Uttar Pradesh legislature, starting tomorrow would have four sittings spread over eight days.

The session would begin on Thursday and end on January 25, the business advisory committee, which met here tonight decided.

The House would meet on January 18, 22, 24 and 25.

Since it is the first sesion of the new year, Governor T V Rajeswar would address a joint session of the legislature on the opening day.

Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav would reply on the motion of thanks to the Governor's address on January 25 and may even prove majority, following the withdrawal of support by Congress tonight and withdrawal of ministers by Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD).

The Mulayam government decided to reconvene the recently-concluded monsoon session after RLD withdrew its three ministers from the ruling dispensation, in a bid to prove it still enjoyed the confidence of the house.

While on January 3, the cabinet had requested the governor to prorogue the session, on January 9, it requested the governor to cancel its request to prorogue the session, so that monsoon session could be reconvened.

But, when the governor signed the prorogation order, the state government and Raj Bhawan came close to a collision course.

However, the state government relented and requested the governor to summon a fresh session. The CM met the governor in this regard, paving the way for the winter session.

UNI