UNEASY HEAD: Shastri has the uphill task of putting the administration back on track

A day after the Uttar Pradesh assembly election results were declared, an upbeat Samajwadi Party (SP) General Secretary Amar Singh bragged that his party didn't need to directly negotiate with the Congress. "Papa (Harkishan Singh) Surjeet will do the talking," he said. The CPI(M) general secretary did talk to Congress President Sonia Gandhi on backing a secular regime (read Mulayam Singh Yadav, SP chief) in the state. But Sonia showed disinterest and that ended the SP's hopes of forming the government.

More than two weeks after the elections, a popular government is yet to be put in place in Lucknow. In normal circumstances, President's rule precedes an assembly election. But Uttar Pradesh is now in for a prolonged spell following the failure of any party or combination to cough up the required numbers to form a government. For the people of the state, the divided mandate may well be a blessing in disguise. After the farce that went in the name of governance in the past five-and-a-half years, many have begun to believe that a spell of Central rule might not be a bad idea after all.

So when Governor Vishnu Kant Shastri mooted President's rule, the chest thumping was limited to the SP. For nearly two weeks, Shastri spoke to leaders of all major parties, including the SP, BJP, BSP and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD). Barring the SP, none staked a claim to form the government. But with just 145 MLAs, the SP remained far from 202, the number required for a simple majority. By recommending to Delhi that the state be put under Central rule, Shastri was merely standing by his public announcement that he would not wait beyond March 6 for parties to prove they had the numbers to rule. The Union Cabinet accepted the recommendation on March 7, brushing aside the Opposition's outcry, mainly that of the SP.

Earlier, the SP had chalked out elaborate plans to mount pressure on Shastri to invite its leader to form the government. But the party's plans went awry when its newly elected MLA, Mansoor Ahmed from Baheri constituency in Bareilly district, was shot dead during a demonstration outside the Lucknow Raj Bhavan. Within a couple of hours, the agitation was called off even as Mulayam spoke of a "deep conspiracy" behind Ahmed's death.

LONE DISSENTER: Mulayam has slammed the governor's decision, but his party has neither the numbers nor the backing of other parties to form a government in the state

Mulayam may be sore at the developments but then he alone is to blame for having failed to form a government. In recent years, he has rubbed the leaders of almost all parties the wrong way. They include Sonia, Mayawati and even rld's Ajit Singh. According to Congress circles, Sonia did agree to back the SP but came under immense pressure from within the party to withhold the letter of support until SP could muster a figure of 175. This despite the fact that Ghulam Nabi Azad, general secretary in charge of the state, as well as the majority of the newly elected legislators were in favour of backing the SP. "We could not be seen to be encouraging head hunting," says party spokesman S. Jaipal Reddy.

Congress circles say the man who effectively soured Mulayam's dreams was the former state unit president Salman Khurshid. Two years ago Mulayam had manipulated Khurshid's ouster from his post. The Congressman settled scores by advising Sonia against teaming up with the SP.

WAITING GAME: Mayawati (left) hopes the BJP will be forced to make her CM

Despite the varied noises, there is little doubt that a spell of Central rule should give breathing space to all the key political players. For Mulayam, it will ensure that he will not have to tackle the burgeoning Ayodhya crisis. The BJP hopes it will gain time to bring the BSP to the negotiating table. The Congress hopes it will be able to strike a better bargain with Mulayam, and Mayawati hopes that with time running out, the BJP will be forced to prop her up as chief minister again.

STATES

PREVIOUS CENTRAL STINTS DEC 1992 TO DEC 1993: 363 days. Kalyan Singh government dismissed following the Babri Masjid demolition. Mulayam takes over as chief minister after the 1993 polls. OCT 1995 TO OCT 1996: 364 days. Mayawati government dismissed after coalition partner BJP withdraws support. OCT 1996 TO MARCH 1997: 154 days. After elections throw up a hung assembly, governor Romesh Bhandari refuses to invite BJP, the largest single party. Central rule imposed.

State BJP chief Kalraj Mishra says Central rule is "the best option in the given circumstances". Ajit Singh echoes similar sentiments. The BSP is guarded, saying it "was natural given the circumstances". Only the SP predictably has slammed the decision. "It is a crude design to deprive the SP of a chance to form a government," says Mulayam.

But the BJP would be well advised to be cautious while seeking to rule by proxy in the state. For Shastri, with virtually no administrative experience of any sort, it will be an uphill task to provide even a semblance of good governance. For one, a majority of the bureaucracy is politicised and divided into caste compartments. Also, populist measures by successive regimes from Mayawati to Rajnath Singh and the presence of a jumbo cabinet have taken their toll on the financial status and administration of the state.

"It is the most opportune time to bring a derailed administration back on the tracks," says a principal secretary. In other words, Shastri has to ensure that Uttar Pradesh will no longer be Ulta (upturned) Pradesh-an epithet that has for long been used to describe the beleaguered state.