BSP supremo Mayawati will be sworn-in as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh for the fourth time on Saturday by state Governor T V Rajeshwar Rao. The Governor had invited her on Saturday to form the government.
The swearing-in ceremony would take place at 1 pm on the lawns of Raj Bhavan. It is not clear whether a few other BSP leaders would also take oath along with her. Ms Mayawati, who is 51, drove to Raj Bhavan with her party national General Secretary Satish Chandra Mishra at 3 pm after she was unanimously elected leader of the BSP’s legislative party, with the state President Indrajit Saroj proposing her name.
Meets Governor
She was with the Governor for over half-an-hour. He gave her the invitation and a letter “designating her as chief minister”.
After the meeting with the Governor, Ms Mayawati told the media: “Maine unhe kaha ki wo mujhe amantrit karein aur shapat dilwayen.” (I asked the governor to invite me and conduct the oath of office).
It is learnt that one of the last acts of the Mulayam Singh Yadav dispensation was to clear the file related to the CBI investigation into the controversial Taj corridor case against Ms Mayawati.
Mr Yadav had disposed of the file and accorded state permission for the probe. Meanwhile, Mr Yadav has vacated his official chief ministerial residence at Kalidas Marg.
There have been a spate of resignations with SP General Secretary Amar Singh putting in his papers as chairman of the UP Industrial Developmental Council.
On the eve of Ms Mayawati’s coronation as the 32nd chief minister of UP, statues of the BSP icons in the city were spruced up.