The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed an application challenging the order of Uttar Pradesh Governor T V Rajeshwar refusing sanction for the prosecution of state Chief Minister Mayawati in the Taj Corridor case. A bench comprising Justice S B Sinha, Justice S H Kapadia and Justice D K Jain dismissed the application filed by amicus curiae Krishan Mahajan, challenging the order of the governor.
"So far her tour is on," a senior BSP leader said, but added that as the political situation is fluid, the visit may be curtailed if necessary.
Waking up to the realisation that state assembly elections in the state are barely 18 months away, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati has begun to sound an alert to her party rank and file.
Party chief and Uttar Pradesh chief minister said the Bahujan Samaj Party will extend support to the Union government from outside.
Eighteen months after quashing a disproportionate assets case against Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on a technical ground, the Supreme Court on Friday asked why the Central Bureau of Investigation did not file a fresh first information report in the case.
Last week, a panel of judges headed by the Chief Justice of India ordered that Karnan be transferred to the Calcutta high court. The junior judge reacted that he would fight the order and asked the Chief Justice of India to "not interfere" with his jurisdiction, and also stayed his own transfer order.
All major functionaries of the party are expected to attend the function, but government officials have been told to keep away from the event. Sharat Pradhan reports from Lucknow.
Hours after the work of draping the statues of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati and Bahujan Samaj Party's election symbol elephant was completed, the parks in which they were installed in Lucknow have been closed for the public till the assembly polls get over. There are nine such parks including Manyavar Kanshiramj Green Eco Garden at VIP Road, Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Samajik Parivartan Sthal, Gomtinagar and Smriti Upvan, Ashiana Kanshiram Smarak, Jail Road.
Dozens of statues of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati and numerous that of elephants (which also happens to be ruling Bahujan Samaj Party's election symbol) in and around parks and memorials built by her in Lucknow and Noida were being hurriedly veiled from Monday morning by officials in pursuance of the Election Commission's order.
In a surprise move, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati sacked two more of her ministers on Wednesday evening, taking the number of dropped ministers over the past two months to six.
Mayawati may not be thrilled to compromise and subdue her vaulting prime ministerial ambitions. Her BSP organisational machinery is just a little short of becoming an all-India one. Alleged corruption may trigger off anti-incumbency forces. Therefore, she has no choice -- at least, not this time.
A bench comprising Justice Arijit Passayat and Justice P P Naolekar held that there was no merit in the petition as the apex court had earlier decided on similar issues raised before it.
The Election Commission on Saturday asked the Uttar Pradesh government to uncover statues of Chief Minister Mayawati and of elephants, the Bahujan Samaj Party's poll symbol, in the state. "The EC secretary has written a letter to the UP chief secretary stating that the statues draped following its January 7 order should be uncovered forthwith," said UP Chief Electoral Officer Umesh Sinha.
A Bench of Justices Arijit Pasayat and P P Naolekar while reserving its verdict said it would pass a "reasoned order", after the petitioner Ashok Pandey, who is an advocate, pleaded that the matter be referred to a larger bench.
The petition filed by UP-based advocate and president of the Hindu Personal Law Board, Ashok Pandey, claimed that under the Constitutional provisions an MP has to resign his seat before getting elected to the state legislature.
Mayawati was addressing a press conference after being sworn in as CM.
According to party sources, one of the main reasons for her confidence is that she distributed tickets on merit basis, reports Onkar Singh
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati has asked party workers to help the needy on her birthday, instead of coming to the state capital or New Delhi to greet her.
In a veiled reference to reports that Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi had rescued 15,000 Gujaratis from Uttarakhand, former Uttar Pradesh CM Mayawati on Sunday said the Bahujan Samaj Party condemns a political party whose leader seeks to become a prime ministerial candidate but talks about saving people only from his own state.
We had asked our readers to share their views and reactions to the Election Commission's recent directive to the Uttar Pradesh government. The EC had asked the state administration to cover all statues of Chief Minister Mayawati and elephants -- the symbol of Bahujan Samaj Party -- across the state. Here are some responses by our readers:
The PM is seen as slipping up in confidence levels as aired by his 'exposure' of the BRS on a crucial issue as alliance negotiations, which is not done under normal circumstances, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
A day after the Uttar Pradesh Lokayukta recommended his dismissal on charges of owning disproportionate assets, Chief Minister Mayawati on Wednesday sacked Secondary Education Minister Rangnath Misra and Labour Minister Badshah Singh, who too is under the scanner of the anti-graft ombudsmen. Cracking the whip, the chief minister has also ordered a vigilance inquiry against the two ministers. Both the ministers have been asked to fight the graft cases in court.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Friday said all major decisions of the previous Mulayam Singh government, including Reliance Energy's Dadri power project, would be reviewed.
A high level committee had found the lapses and hence the government has decided to recommend the irregularities to the Centre.
SP chief spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary said Akhilesh will not participate in the yatra, nor will any other leader from the party.
Mayawati thinks she has a winner if a candidate can bring in votes from his own caste to go with her Schedule Caste vote bank.
The Supreme Court on Monday rejected Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati's plea for quashing a PIL filed against her in the Taj corridor scandal which involved construction of a massive shopping mall and recreational centres near the world famous monument.
Gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari's alleged aide Sanjeev Maheshwari Jeeva was shot dead on Lucknow court premises on Wednesday, the police said.
The National Election Watch has put out a report pertaining the chief ministers of the five states going to polls -- Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Mayawati, on Wednesday announced a financial assistance of Rs 5 crore for the national hockey players and also offered to sponsor the team for the next two years.
Nath, a nine-time MP from Chhindwara seat and currently president of state Congress unit, will take oath at a grand function to be held at Jamboree Maidan in BHEL area instead of Lal Parade Ground as announced earlier.
Favouring reservation for Muslims, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Sunday said that 27 per cent Other Backward Class quota should be increased by making constitutional amendment to include backward Muslims in it. "The Bahujan Samaj Party government favours quota for Muslims. The Centre should amend the constitution and increase 27 per cent quota of OBCs to include muslims in it. Our party will support it," Mayawati said addressing a rally in Lucknow.
After the 1,200-acre special economic zone at Noida and the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group's gas-based power plant at Dadri, Lanco Kundapalli's 1,000-Mw Anpara C power project in Sonebhadra district of Uttar Pradesh has come under the scanner
The Enforcement Directorate on Monday detected cash deposits totalling over Rs.104 crore in an account belonging to the Bahujan Samaj Party and Rs 1.43 crore in an account belonging to party Supremo Mayawati's brother Anand in a branch of United Bank of India in New Delhi, sources in the Enforcement Directorate said.
The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court on Tuesday ordered the detention and arrest of Uttar Pradesh Principal Home Secretary R M Srivastava for not complying with a court order for providing special security to a former minister in the Mayawati government.
SP president Akhilesh Yadav and ally RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary are unlikely to participate in the Yatra due to "preoccupation" with their party programmes, their party leaders said.