Eyewitness Account of Drama Behind a 31-Hour UP CM | Jist

Though it’s Constitutionally illegal for an Indian state to have two chief ministers, 28 years ago Uttar Pradesh saw two chief ministers in office on February 22, 1998. The man at the centre of the drama was Jagdambika Pal, who then was a leader of a breakaway Congress faction called Uttar Pradesh Loktantrik Congress (UPLC), that was backing the BJP-led Kalyan Singh’s government. In fact, Jagdambika Pal was the state’s Transport Minister. Uttar Pradesh was going through a phase of political instability in 1997. The BJP and BSP were in a coalition government based on a power-sharing formula where the chief minister’s post would alternate every six months. After Mayawati had completed her six months as CM, the BSP withdrew support to BJP’s CM Kalyan Singh on October 19, 1997 barely a month after he had taken charge. Kalyan Singh turned the tables on the BSP when he managed to get support of UPLC and a breakaway group of 19 BSP MLAs – 17 of whom were made ministers. But in February 1998, the Opposition struck back at Kalyan. The country was in the midst of a General Election. Uttar Pradesh had witnessed the first phase of polling. The next phase was on February 22. On February 21, while Kalyan Singh was on the campaign trail he received a message that Governor Romesh Bhandari had dismissed his government after the 22 MLAs of UPLC had withdrawn support. Kalyan Singh rushed back to Lucknow and requested the Governor for a floor test. Late evening, around 10:30 pm, Romesh Bhandari sprung a surprise and swore-in Jagdambika Pal as the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister. Seventeen ministers also took oath including Naresh Aggarwal, Bacha Pathak, Rajram Pandey and Harishankar Tewari. The BJP fought back. One of Kalyan Singh’s ministers, NKS Gaur, knocked on the doors of the Allahabad High Court challenging the Governor's action. Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who was contesting from the Lucknow Lok Sabha seat, went on a fast in protest against the Governor's move and demanded his recall. But Jagdambika Pal too dug in for a legal fight. He filed a plea in the Supreme Court. On February 24, 1998, the Supreme Court passed an order for a composite floor test on February 26, where both Kalyan Singh and Jagdambika Pal were directed to simultaneously seek a trust vote. On February 26, 1998, a composite floor test was held in the then 425-member Uttar Pradesh Assembly. Two MLAs were absent and one seat was vacant making the effective strength of the House 422. Kalyan Singh got 224 votes while Jagdambika Pal got 196 votes, ending the latter's chief ministerial dreams. Once again the UPLC led by Naresh Agarwal had flipped and again voted for Kalyan Singh. But Kalyan won the trust vote comfortably despite the Speaker Keshari Nath Tripathi cancelling 13 votes including of 12 BSP MLAs.