Lucknow: Congress Legislature Party in Uttar Pradesh formally split on January 28 with eight party MLAs forming a separate group Akhil Bharatiya Congress Dal, rebel Congress leader Akhilesh Singh said in Lucknow.

Speaker of the state Assembly Kesari Nath Tripathi has given recognition to the new group, Singh claimed.

The break-away group had also requested for recognition of the split in the Congress Legislature Party, Tripathi said.

He said he has looked into all the legal aspects before granting recognition to the break-away group.

The leader of Congress Legislature Party, Pramod Tewari however said he would challenge the decision of the Speaker in the court and bring a no confidence motion against him for his "unconstitutional act".

The Congress MLAs were confined in the Speaker's chamber for over five hours and were forced to sign on the dotted lines, Tewari alleged.

He contested the Speaker's decision on the ground that expelled MLA Akhilesh Singh, who was declared an unattached member, has been treated as the member of the Congress.

Akhilesh Singh, however, said they were forced to defect from the party in the interest of political stability and development of the state.

PTI