I was coaxed to form UP govt: Mulayam

Kanpur, Feb 16 (UNI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav today asserted that he was never ''interested'' in forming the government in the state in 2003 and was coaxed by other political parties in this regard.

''Those, who are calling my regime as illegal today, were in fact instrumental in coaxing me to form my government,'' he told newspersons here.

Taking a swipe at the Congress and his party's formerally, the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), Mr Yadav said, ''These parties, who are talking about political propriety, had exerted pressure on me to form the state government.'' ''Senior BJP leader Kalyan Singh is witness to it,'' he claimed.

Mr Singh, who was then in the RKP, had also supported the state government-led by Mr Yadav.

He, however, later rejoined the BJP and is presently a vice-president of the party.

Mr Yadav also reiterated that his government was stable and enjoyed comfortable majority in the House.

''There is no question of recommending dissolution of the assembly...the media has overhyped the issue.'' He said his detractors should take lesson from the six state ministers, who resigned yesterday following the Supreme Court decision disqualifying 13 UP MLAs.

On the impending assembly poll, the SP supremo said the election should have been held in February.

Mr Yadav brushed aside suggestions of a ''tacit understanding'' between the BJP and SP. ''If the SP had not defeated the BJP in the last general poll, the Congress-led UPA government would not have seen the light of day.'' He claimed the condition of farmers in UP was far better than in other states, including Gujarat and Mahrashtra.

The Chief Minister was here for the convocation ceremony of Chhatrapati Sahuji Maharaj University. UP Governor T V Rajeswar was also scheduled to arrive at the varsity, but he cancelled his visit at the last moment.

UNI