UP cabinet expansion likely tomorrow

Lucknow, Oct 16 (UNI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati is likely to expand her cabinet tomorrow.

Highly placed sources said here the expansion is likely to take place tomorrow and Governor T V Rajeswar would administer oath of office and secrecy to a yet unspecified number of new inductees at Raj Bhawan in the evening.

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) government took over reins five months ago after the Dalit-Brahmin-Muslim rainbow helped the Mayawati-led party gain a brute majority in the asembly elections.

Recently, minister of state (Independent charge) Raghunath Prasad Shankhwar had to resign following allegations that as a Chief Medical Officer (CMO) in various districts, certain irregularities were found in purchase of medicines. A cabinet minister, Dr Sudhir Goel, had resigned following ill health. He had said he would now work for the organisation.

Before the two resignations, the Mayawati ministry had 50 members, including herself. As per a recent Act, she can have a maximum of 60 members in her council of ministers.

This would be the third expansion of the ministry. Anand Sen Yadav was inducted in the ministry during the end of May as he could not take part in the swearing in ceremony on May 13 along with Ms Mayawati as he was behind bars. The next expansion had accomodated Ms Mayawati's close confidante Satish Chandra Mishra, who was made a cabinet minister attached with the CM.

UNI