Mulayam set for trust vote on Feb 26

Lucknow, Feb 16 (UNI) The Mulayam Singh Yadav-led Samajwadi party government in Uttar Pradesh will go for a confidence vote on the floor of the state assembly on February 26.

According to an official release, the government will go for a trust vote within a month of winning a confidence vote on January 25.

Reports also say that Mr Yadav is seeking legal advice from a battery of counsels at the residence of a senior Samajwadi party leader in New Delhi tonight.

With the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the Centre considering the imposition of President's rule, sources said Governor T V Rajeswar has sent his report about the political situation after the Supreme Court's ruling to disqualify 13 MLAs on Wednesday last.

However, the Uttar Pradesh assembly is yet to notify the disqualification of the 13 MLAs as per the direction of the Supreme Court Constitution Bench.

State principal secretary (Assembly) A N Mittal said notification for disqualification of the 13 MLAs is yet to be made as the assembly secretariat was still awaiting the certified copy of the apex court's directive.

''We are awaiting the copy of the SC directive and will act accordingly,'' he said.

The Secretariat being closed today for 'Maha Shivratri', the notification is likely to be issued next week, he said.

After resignation of six Ministers yesterday, who had been disqualified by the Supreme Court, the future of the remaining 24 MLAs of the Loktrantrik Bahujan Dal (LBD) is also threatned as their number was well under the one-third majority on September 6, 2003.

The 13 MLAs had been disqualified with retrospective effect from August 27, 2003.

UNI