Maya to take oath as UP's next CM on May 13

Lucknow, May 12: The era of coalition government comes to an endin the politically turbulent state of Uttar Pradesh which is poised toturn a new chapter when the first majority government in 14 years ledby Mayawati swears in at 1300 hrs tomorrow.

Belying all speculation of a hung assmebly, the Bahujan SamajwadiParty trampled all its political opponents to emerge as a formidablepolitical entity.

Declaring that the BSP is no longer a mere Dalit outfit andthanking the upper caste for overwhelming faith in the ideologies andpolicies of the party, Ms Mayawati is all set to take oath for thefourth time and the first time without the support of any politicalparty.

With Presidential election round the corner and the next Lok Sabhapolls not far away, the political developments in Uttar Pradesh aregoing to have a major impact on the political future of the country.

If there is anything to go by her interaction with the mediayesterday after the results of the UP assembly polls were announced,the promise to rid the state of the caste politics is too much of theexpectation from a much-mellowed Mayawati. The success of Brahamin cardby a party which had always been touted as a Dalit party anddistributed ticket to 86 Brahmins this time during the polls will be aninteresting proposition to be seen and experienced when she leads thegovernment.

Ms Mayawati is likely to be sworn in with a small council ofministers which will be expanded later. Lack of seasoned legislatorsand balance between the Dalit and the upper caste would be another actof a tight-rope walk for the Dalit leader, once described by the latePrime Minister P V Narsimha Rao as the ''miracle of the Indiandemocracy''.

Equally interesting would be to see the Mulayam Singh Yadav-ledSamajwadi Party as the main Opposition party which had been rejectedfor ''rampant corruption'' in its ranks and its inability to inculcatesense of security in the people of the state.

Going into the 15th assembly as the Opposition party with a dubiousdistinction of having facilitated the first majority government in adecade and a half in UP is the onus on SP which it would find hard toshrug off. The process of notification for the new assmebly by theElection Commission (EC) is under completion and Chief ElectoralOfficer (CEO) Anuj Kumar Bishnoi would go to Governor T V Rajeswartomorrow morning followed by the modalities of the formation of the newgovernment.

Meanwhile, the BSP legislature party met in the day to elect MsMayawati as its leader though the meeting and her election being just aformality. The BSP supremo's name was proposed by senior leaderIndrajit Saroj and seconded by state party chief Lalji Verma and morethan 200 newly-elected MLAs.

During the meeting, she was introduced with the new members.

Addressing them, Ms Mayawati said there was a great challengebefore her to fulfill the people's aspirations who had given the BSP anabsolute majority in the polls.

Later, the BSP leader met the Governor at the Raj Bhawan thisafternoon to stake claim for the new government. Ms Mayawati alsoshowed her credentials as the leader of BSP's newly-formed LegislatureParty, following which she was invited to take oath of office andsecrecy.

Ms Mayawati, who was closeted with Mr Rajeswar for about 45minutues along with party general secretary Satish Chandra Mishra, toldreporters that, ''I urged the Governor to invite me to form the nextgovernment which was accepted by him immediately.'' Mulayam Singh Yadavhad put in papers as the Chief Minister after his Samajwadi Party wasdefeated by the BSP. Conceding defeat, Mr Yadav had blamed the ElectionCommission for his defeat by claming that the Constitutional body hadbecome a ''party in itself in defeating the SP.'' The BSP had rompedhome to absolute majority by winning 206 of the 402 assembly seats.This is for the first time in the last 14 years that any party hasmanaged absolute majority.

While the BSP camp was abuzz with activities, the Congress and theBJP both had a sullen face with none of its leaders coming out in opento comment on the poll resverses they faced.

UNI