Dismissal theory will recoil on UPA partners: Left

New Delhi, Feb 19: The Left parties today cautioned the UPA partners against falling prey to the ''Congress manouevres'' to topple the Mulayam Singh Yadav-led government in Uttar Pradesh stating the dismissal move would recoil on them sooner or later.

They also accused the Congress of dividing the secular forces in the wake of ''its weakening position'' and asserted that under no circumstances the duly elected UP government be toppled.

Talking to sources, top leaders of all the four Left parties --the CPI, CPI(M), Forward Bloc and RSP-- also made out a strong case for strengthening the Anti-Defection Law on the plea that the Congress must learn a lesson from the earlier instances in Bihar and Jharkhand.

The battlelines now seem to be vertically drawn between the supporters of the Congress' move to impose President's Rule in UP and the Left, AIADMK and TDP opposing the move. The BJP, DMK, NCP, RJD and LJP support the move to impose President's Rule.

CPI leaders A B Bardhan and Shamim Faizi said as far as the Left is concerned, they are, in principle, opposed to the use of Article 356 regarding majority or minority status of the state government.

''In view of the Supreme Court judgement, Mr Yadav should have resigned on moral grounds, but it will be more immoral on the part of the Manmohan Singh government to impose President's Rule when the Chief Minister has already announced his plan to go in for a confidence vote on February 26,'' the CPI leaders said.

Mr Bardhan said it is important that the Speaker of the UP Assembly act on the advice of the apex court and disqualify the remaining 24 Bahujan Samaj Party MLAs who supported the Yadav-led government after defecting from the BSP.

Mr Faizi, editor of the party Weekly 'New Age' advised the Congress from mobilising forces in support of its dismissal move and said the party should have concentrated on removing the shortcomings of the Anti-Defection Law.

CPI(M) senior leader M K Pandhe said it was surprising to find the DMK change its line despite the fact that it had been the victim of Article 356. ''Why it changed... we do not know really.. whether it is under pressure or some other reason.'' Mr Pandhe, also a Polit Bureau member of the party said he was equally surprised at the Congress move as ''it is not going to gain by it. Does it want to make Mr Yadav a martyr? Will he not get more seats,'' he asked.

''The Congress committed the same mistake in Jharkhand,'' he added.

The CPI leaders said the issue should not be looked from a ''partisan angle as it appears to be from the support by some of the regional parties to the Congress' move. And its supporters should remmber that it can recoil on them as well. Another dispensation may use the same logic against them.'' The Left leader also impressed upon the supporters of the dismissal theory that they should recall the Bihar episode and keep in mind the strictures passed by the apex court.

RSP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Abani Roy said, ''no elected government can be toppled in this fashion as majority or the minority status of ruling party can be tested on the floor of the House only.'' Forward Bloc national secretary G Devrajan said the Congress desgin was to divide the secular forces as it knew by now ''how badly it had faired in Punjab and the same thing is going to happen in Uttarakhand and in Uttar Pradesh.'' On the Congress' argument that Uttar Pradesh government is ''unconstitutional'', he questioned as to how they are dealing with the same government on various economic and political matters.

UNI