Key Indian state facing crisis

Uttar Pradesh is a key player in Indian politics

By Ram Dutt Tripathi BBC reporter in Lucknow

The ruling coalition in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh is facing a crisis after eight independent legislators withdrew support from the government.

UP Assembly

Total seats - 403

Ruling coalition - 209

Opposition - 186

BSP - 98

BJP - 88

Samajvadi - 142

Congress - 25

The ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) coalition under Chief Minister Mayawati now has a slim majority.

Opposition Samajvadi Party leaders are in touch with a group of rebel BJP and independent legislators in an effort to topple the Mayawati government.

India's most populous state, Uttar Pradesh sends the largest number of MPs to Delhi, and has a significant influence on national politics.

Brewing dissent

The independent legislators who withdrew their support, asked Governor VK Shashtri to direct Chief Minister Mayawati to seek a vote of confidence in the 403-seat state assembly.

Ms Mayawati leads an unstable coalition

But the governor told journalists that there was no need to ask the government to prove its majority now since it enjoyed a majority.

The BJP-BSP coalition is supported by some small regional parties and a few independents.

Many legislators reportedly want to become ministers in the state government.

But Ms Mayawati, who became chief minister in May, left out several hopefuls in a recent cabinet expansion, since when dissent has been brewing.

Numbers game

Nearly a dozen BJP legislators are openly defying the party leadership, demanding that the BJP leave the coalition and support the government from outside.

The third major party in the ruling coalition - Lok Dal - is also on the verge of being split on the same issue.

Meanwhile, senior opposition Samajvadi Party leader - Amar Singh - met Congress leader Motilal Vora on Saturday to discuss the political situation in the state.

The chief of the Samajvadi Party - Mulayam Singh Yadav - told the BBC he was hopeful of forming a new government with the help of the Congress party.

The Samajvadi party has 142 seats in the assembly while the Congress party has 25.

But with a total of 186 seats, the opposition are still behind the ruling coalition which now has 209 seats.