New Delhi:In a verdict that can raise questions about political morality of the coalitionheaded by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, the Supreme Courttoday disqualified 13 breakaway BSP MLAs who had defected from Mayawati camp tosupport his coalition ministry.

In the much-awaited judgement among political parties in the state, the courtdisqualified the 13 MLAs who later formed Loktantrik Bahujan Samajwadi Partyafter breaking away from Mayawati-led BSP giving the Samajwadi Party-ledcoalition the required numbers from August 27, 2003.

The court said disqualification of the 13 MLAs will be considered from August27, 2003, the day they first met the Governor pleging their support to Yadav.

A five-judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan upheldthe Allahabad High Court verdict holding as illegal the decision of thenSpeaker Kesrinath Tripathi recognising the split in the party after 24 morebreakaway BSP MLAs joined the 13 who first met the Governor asking him toinvite Yadav to form government.

The verdict criticised the Speaker saying he did not go into the issue ofdisqualification of the 13 breakaway members simultaneously with the issue ofsplit in the orginal party.

The judgement may not have any impact on the stability of Yadav governmentwhich had mustered the support of over 220 MLAs in the 402-member Assembly lastmonth but observers feel it may raise questions of political morality.