Yogi Adityanath will be the third consecutive Chief Minister and leader of the House in the last ten years to become a member of the legislative Council -the UpHer house of the state legislature.
Earlier in 2007, while being ChiefMinister, Bahuajan Samaj Party chief Mayawati, then a lok Sabha MP, opted for the Upper House. In 2012, whiule heading the Samajwadi Party government, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav was a lok Sabha MP from Kannauj but he later resigned and sought entry into the state legioslature through legislative Council. He is still an MlC and his terms end in March next year.
Presently a lok Sabha MP from Gorakhpur, Yogi Adityanath is likely to file nomination for the by-poll to legislative Council on Friday. Returning Officer for the bypoll and Principal secretary of Assembly, Pradeep Kumar Dube is presently abroad and is expected to return to lucknow on September 4. The last date for filing nomination is September 5.
Unlike the Parliament, the leader of the House is required to be a member of lok Sabha (lower house of Parliament). In UP, the `Rules of business for conduct of the proceedings of the State Assembly, allow the member of legislative Council to be the leader of the House.
During the UPA-I and II. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was a member of Rajya Sabha - the Upper House of Parliament. Pranab Mukherjee, being a member of lok Sabha was the leader of the House.
Beside these three CMs, Ram Prakash Gupta was appointed as UP Chief Minister in November 1999 and was not a member of the either House of the legislature and was later elected as member of the legislative Council.
Congress leader Naryan Dutt Tewari, Chandra Bhanu Gupta and were also members of legislative Council. Congress leader and former Prime Minister Vishwanath Pratap Singh took over as Chief Minister in June 1990 and was elected as member of legislative Council in November 1980. He later contested Assembly poll from Tindwari seat in Banda.