UP assembly proceedings adjourned amid bedlam

Lucknow, Feb 26 (UNI) The proceedings of the Uttar Pradesh legislative assembly were adjourned for 30 minutes following bedlam created by the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The BJP raised slogans as soon as the house met for the day this morning. BJP members were demanding that the Speaker should not allow 24 BSP splinter group MLAs from participating in the house following a February 14 Supreme Court ruling disqualifying 13 MLAs of the same group. ''They automatically stand disqualified and have no legal grounds to attend the proceedings,'' BJP legislature party leader Lalji Tandon, who is also Leader of the Opposition, told mediapersons later.

The BJP members also demanded removal of 10 of its MLAs who had cross-voted on January 25 in favour of the Samajwadi Party during a trust vote. The BJP has already moved a writ seeking their disqualification as MLAs.

BJP is the only Opposition party attending the proceedings today.

While Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and COngress have decided to boycott the proceedings, Bahujan SAmaj Party (BSP) MLAs had last week handed over their resignations to party chief Mayawati to protest the confidence vote the ruling SP proposes to seek today.

This will be for the first time that a majority government will seek confidence vote on simultaneius sittings of the house. The Samajwadi Party government had gone for the trust vote on January 25 last on the day of last sitting of the present session while it will do again today.

The confidence vote of the government might be the last major engagement of the assembly before the seven phase polls slated in the state between April and May.

UNI