It is most likely that Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav will bequeath his post of the Leader of Opposition in UP Assembly and head to Delhi as an MP.

Yadav, who was elected to Lok Sabha from Mainpuri, is also an MLA from Bharthana Assembly constituency in Etawah district.

Yadav, however, refused to confirm it and said: “This issue is before me. I am yet to decide. I am meeting my colleagues and candidates who had contested the Lok Sabha polls and will then weigh my options. I will decide very soon.”

According to “Prohibition of simultaneous membership rules 1950” under Article 101, Section (I) of the Constitution, no person shall be a member of the Parliament as well as the state Legislature. The SP chief has to decide within 14 days or June 1 on whether to resign from the Assembly or Parliament.

In 2004 Lok Sabha elections, Yadav, who was then the chief minister of UP, had won from Mainpuri seat, but he opted out from the Parliament. His party had won 39 seats but was not included in the Congress-led UPA coalition. This time, too, in spite of having 23 MPs, the party wields no clout in the government formation since the Congress has sufficient numbers.

Sources in SP said this time Yadav will remain in the Parliament because his presence will help the party to regain national relevance.

Moreover, they said, this time most of the party’s MPs are making their debut in the Parliament and excluding Akhilesh Yadav and Reoti Raman Singh, no other member is competent to lead the party in the Lok Sabha.

... contd.