Mayawati cabinet passes resolution to dissolve assembly

[1]

The Uttar Pradesh cabinet has passed a resoultion recommending dissolution of the 403-member assembly here late on Sunday.

The decision was taken after the chief minister's office got signatures of all cabinet ministers appended to such a resolution. There was no formal cabinet meeting.

The preponing of the constitutional obligation took many by surprise, as the outgoing government usually passes such a resolution only after the poll results are out.

Once such a resolution is passed and signed by the chief minister, it is taken to the governor for approval and issuance of notification declaring dissolution of the state assembly.

The move assumes significance, as most polls have given a lead to the Samajwadi Party (SP) suggesting that the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) could well be voted out of power in India's most populous state.

The seventh and final round of staggered balloting here ended Saturday, with a record voting by 60 percent of its 127 million voters in 10 districts and 60 constituencies.

The exit polls have largely predicted a hung assembly in the state, with the SP emerging as the single largest party, and the ruling BSP being reduced to a two digit strength.

After maintaing a studied silence for the last two days on exit polls outcome, the BSP has said it would 'make it comfortably to power'.

"All exit pollsters would eat humble pie when election results would be out," state BSP president Swami Prasad Maurya told IANS on Sunday. Votes for the seven-phased election will be counted Tuesday.