FAIZABAD/LUCKNOW, Jan 3: The Samajwadi Party (SP) today demanded imposition of President's rule in Uttar Pradesh, alleging ``breakdown of Constitutional machinery'' in the State.``The Constitutional machinery has failed in the State due to the misrule of the Kalyan Singh government,'' said the party's national secretary, Awadesh Prasad here. Prasad said that serious differences among the coalition partners have ``adversely affected'' the functioning of the State government.``Several ministers have openly criticised the chief minister's style of functioning,'' he added.
Claiming the situation at the Centre as ``fluid,'' he said that the Commerce Minister Ramakrishna Hegde's criticism of the Vajpayee government showed ``lack of cohesion'' among the coalition partners.
Meanwhile, the party vice-president, K L Sharma, said that the party high command had not received any demand, seeking change in leadership in Uttar Pradesh. Sharma, while addressing the national executive at Bangalore, said thatthe State party members were free to air their views on such matters.``As far as we are concerned, no demand has come from any quarters so far to change the leader,'' he told reporters, when asked whether the Uttar Pradesh chief minister, Kalyan Singh, was being replaced. He, however, hastened to add that members from Uttar Pradesh attending the national executive were free to air their views when it takes up for discussion the resolution on political situation tomorrow.
Kalyan Singh had come under attack from many of his coalition partners following his reported warning to the party leadership that the State would head for a mid-term election if he was replaced. The State chief minister, who is also facing dissidence from a section of his partymen, had, however, virtually retracted his statement later by saying that he would abide by any decision of the party high command on the leadership issue.
Taking cue from Kalyan Singh's statements, the State's Tourism and PWD minister, Kalraj Misra,said the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government in the was ``stable'' and denied any threat to it.The government was ``stable'' and would continue to function smoothly, he told reporters in Lucknow, refusing to be drawn into the ongoing controversy over the change in leadership issue.
``All the ministers are with chief minister Kalyan Singh,'' he said. Asked if he too was a party to the ``conspiracy'' to remove Singh from the chief ministership, Misra said, ``I cannot conspire against the Cabinet of which I am a member''.
Stating that the ``party forum'' was the right place to discuss any such differences, Misra added he did not believe in discussing party issues in the media.
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.