Delay, poll announcement create hope for Mulayam

New Delhi, Feb 21 (UNI) Uncertainty over the fate of the Mulayam Singh Government in Uttar Pradesh continued today, with the Centre dithering over the issue in the face of various pulls and pressures in support and against the move to dismiss the government.

The announcement of the election today added a new factor into the whole issue. The Election Commission announced a seven phase poll schedule, beginning from April 7 and lasting till March 8, for the state Assembly.

Significantly, the Congress instead of demanding to outright the dismissal of the government, today called upon the Centre ''to take all steps to prevent horse trading in the state''.

According to political analysts, the beleagured Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister may find casue for some solace as the time passes, as it was indicative of the UPA government's lack of surety regarding the response its recommendation of the Central rule would get from the President.

That is in addition to the Left's continued opposition to the plan to dismiss the SP-led Government.

The Left leader today again advised the Congress to face the electroal battle rather fall into ''any misadventure''.

They reitrated their opposition to the use of Article 356 to topple the SP government, especially after the announcment of election schedule for the State Assembly.

A slight change in the tone and tenor of the Congress was also visible today. Its spokesperosn Jayanti Natrajan said Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav should resign on moral ground as he had lost majority in the Assembly. She, however, did not demand outright dismissal of the government, confining itself just to saying that the Centre should take all steps to prevent horse trading.

Later, reacting to announcement of elections, she said, "We are ready for the Assembly polls. The Congress was not clamouring for President's Rule." However, political analysts still do not rule out imposition of President's rule in the state.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held a meeting with External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Home Minister Shiv Raj Patil, Finance Minister P Chidambaram and Law Minister H R Bharadwaj to discuss Uttar Pradesh situation in the context of the announcement of the poll schedule there.

Meanwhile, the Samajwadi Party today announced its withdrawal of its external support to the UPA Government at the Centre.

Announcing the move in state capital Lucknow, Mr Yadav accused the Congress of siding with the BJP in the conspiracy against his ''majority government''.

He also announced a decisive 'Halla Bol' agitation against the Congress.

On the other hand, the BSP, the disqualification of whose 13 MLAs by the Supreme Court for desreting their party to support the SP-led Government in the stae, had trigerred the demand for the ouster of the government, today threatened to move the President if the Centre failed to impose Central rule in the state.

BSP general secretary and Rajya Sabha member Satish Mishra said in Lucknow that party president Mayawati had decided if the Centre delays decision to clamp Aticle 356 in UP, the party would meet the President and seek his direct intervention.

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