NEW DELHI, JULY 8: Samata party today virtually dropped its demand for use of Article 356 in Bihar and ruled out resignation of its two ministers from the Vajpayee government.After a nine-hour marathon meeting of party MPs and leaders from Bihar, including dissidents, party president George Fernandes said time was not ripe to fulfill the demand.
``Our electoral promise of dismissing RJD government in Bihar was based on the presumption that we will have full majority in both houses of Parliament to approve imposition of President's Rule. But we do not have the requisite number in the Rajya Sabha to carry out the promise,'' he said.
He said Samata Party would approach other parties to muster their support in Rajya Sabha for the purpose.
Asked to comment on the dissidents' demand for resignation of the two union ministers from the party to press the demand for dismissal, Fernandes said ``there was no such talk that we will resign.....''
One of the prominent dissident leaders Shivanand Tiwari, who wasrecently sacked as the state's party general secretary, attended the meeting but declined to comment on the outcome.
``Whatever happened will be briefed by Fernandes.'' Tiwari has been critical of the Central leaders over alleged soft-pedalling of the demand for dismissal of the RJD government and had suggested that Fernandes and Nitish Kumar resign if the centre was not in a position to sack the RJD government.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.