Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav today expanded his cabinet for the seventh time by inducting three new ministers. The expansion also saw sacked minister Balram Singh Yadav being reinstated.
Lucknow Central MLA Ravidas Mehrotra, Sarojini Nagar MLA Sharada Pratap Shukla and Sikandarpur (Ballia) MLA Mohammed Ziauddin Rizvi are the new members of UP cabinet. While Mehrotra and Shukla took the oath today, Rizvi could not attend the oath taking ceremony as he is out on Umrah (religious pilgrimage to Mecca).
This is likely to be the last cabinet expansion before the assembly election due early next year.
Balram Singh Yadav who was axed for facilitating the merger of gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari’s Quami Ekta Dal with the Samajwadi Party (SP), was brought back into the cabinet.
Ballia Nagar MLA Narad Rai, who was sacked by Akhilesh in December, 2015 along with seven others, was also brought back today.
Just before the expansion, CM removed Science and Technology Minister Manoj Pandey. Narad Rai could be assigned Pandey’s portfolio.
Senior minister and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav’s brother Shivpal Yadav did not attend the ceremony, reportedly due to his disagreement with the CM over merger of Mukhtar Ansari's Qaumi Ekta Dal (QED) with SP.
A major controversy erupted after the merger of QED with the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) in the poll-bound state. The merger was approved by Shivpal Singh Yadav, but was vetoed by Akhilesh.
