LUCKNOW, May 1: Uttar Pradesh Governor Romesh Bhandari may have the last laugh when nominations to the Upper House of the State Legislature are sent for his approval next month.

As per signals from Raj Bhawan, Bhandari is in no mood to oblige the BSP-BJP coalition government by approving the nominations of 12 new members to the Vidhan Parishad. This will land the Mayawati Government in trouble as one of the Cabinet ministers and other senior leaders of the coalition partners have already been chosen for the Council seats.

State Environment and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Barkhu Ram Verma (BSP) heads the party's list of Parishad members as he has to become a member of either House within six months of assuming ministerial reponsibility. Verma lost the Assembly elections in October from the Sigri constituency in Azamgarh district but was inducted into Mayawati's Cabinet on March 21.

Going by his propensity to remain in the limelight, Bhandari, who has been lying low since the new Government came into being on March 21, will not come to the help of the coalition, according to sources. The Governor has indicated that he was not going to approve any out-of-turn nominations for the Council seats reserved for social workers, litterateurs and freedom fighters. But the ball will be in Bhandari's court after the Cabinet sends the names for nomination following a meeting tomorrow.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.