Samajwadi Party has stepped up its efforts to retain the post of Chairman of UP Legislative Council.  The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, though short of majority, is attempting to install its candidate as pro tem Chairman of the Upper House.

The incumbent Chairman Ramesh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party completed his tenure and retired on Saturday.  The SP maintains that it is the obvious claimant for the post of the Chairman as it enjoys a clear majority in the Upper House of the UP Legislature.

In a house of 100 members, the Samajwadi Party has 51 members.

A Samajwadi Party delegation led by SP MLC and leader of opposition in the Legislative Council, Ahmed Hasan, met Governor Anandiben Patel on Saturday and submitted a memorandum demanding election of the Chairman of the UP Legislative Council.

Ahmed Hasan said that Article 182 of the Constitution mandates that the election of the Chairman of the Legislative Council should be held immediately after the retirement of the incumbent Chairman. He charged that the BJP, despite being in minority, wants to capture the office of the Chairman of the Council through the back door by installing a pro tem Chairman of the House.

Sources said the state government has sent a panel of four names to the Governor for appointment as pro tem Chairman of the Legislative Council.  The sources said that the recently elected BJP MLC Mandendra Pratap Singh was the front runner for the job. 

The announcement for the appointment of pro tem Chairman is likely to be made before the commencement of the budget session of the UP Legislature on February 18.

In over a century-long history of the UP Legislative Council, pro tem Chairman has been appointed nine times while the regular election for electing the Chairman has been held 12 times in the past.  The ruling BJP will attain the majority in the Upper House of the state legislature after the election to 35 seats of the Council from then local bodies constituency. The election to 35 seats will be after the completion of the election to three tier panchayat polls in March this year.