Centre does not want UP legislators to vote in Prez poll: Mulayam

Lucknow, Jan 25 (UNI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav today accused the Centre of delaying the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, so that the legislators of the biggest state in the country fail to participate in the presidential election, due in July this year.

Addressing the state assembly during his reply to the motion of thanks of the Governor's address, the CM claimed despite his request to the Election Commission to hold early elections in UP, a decision had not been taken.

He maintained that the UP poll was being delayed to debar state legislature from voting in the presidential election. ''UP has the biggest vote value...the effort is to ensure that UP does not cast its vote.'' Mentioning the Allahabad madarsa rape case, the CM said police was working on the case and some of the accused had already been arrested. ''The Opposition is making a hue and cry as they are worried that some of their members could be named in the crime,'' he said.

Appreciating the role of T V Rajeswar, he said the Governor was ''innocent'' and it was Congress, which was forcing him to write reports against government and its officials.

The CM claimed his government was not worried about its dismissal by the centre. ''We are ready for any eventuality,'' he asserted.

On the Nithari serial killings, he said the principal accused Moninder Singh Pander was the son-in-law of a senior Congress leader from Punjab.

UNI