SC reserves judgement on Mayawati as UP CM

New Delhi, June 11: The Supreme Court today reserved its judgement on a petition challenging the appointment of BSP Chief Mayawati as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.

A vacation bench comprising Justices Arijit Pasayat and P P Naolekar reserved the judgement after hearing the petitioner Ashok Pandey and counsel for Mayawati, Shail Kumar Dwivedi.

Earlier, the petitioner contended before the court that appointments of Ms Mayawati as Chief Minister and Mr Satish Chandra Mishra as minister in Uttar Pradesh were illegal and unconstitutional as both are members of the Rajya Sabha and cannot hold the ministerial post without resigning from Parliament.

Ms Mayawati did not contest the assembly election and will have to seek election either to assembly or the Legislative Council within six months to continue as Chief Minister. Counsel for Ms Mayawati, however, denied the allegation and told the court that the petitioner was in the habit of filing frivolous petitions and on one occasion the apex court had imposed cost on him.

Mr Dwivedi also contended that there was nothing wrong in Ms Mayawati becoming the Chief Minister since she was a leader of the majority party also and she was truly elected as leader of BSP in the assembly. He also contended that she has not fought election to assembly as yet and she will resign her Rajya Sabha seat before contesting by-election to the state assembly.

The petitioner had also prayed to the court to quash all the decisions taken by the Mayawati Government since May 13, 2007 till date as her appointment was unconstitutional.

UNI