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Business News/ Politics / Policy/  Gayatri Prajapati reinducted into Akhilesh Yadav’s council of ministers
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Gayatri Prajapati reinducted into Akhilesh Yadav’s council of ministers

A social activist had approached Uttar Pradesh governor Ram Naik seeking to stop former mines minister Gayatri Prajapati from being reinducted in the cabinet

Uttar Pradesh governor Ram Naik and chief minister Akhilesh Yadav at the swearing-in ceremony of new ministers in Lucknow on Monday. Photo: PTIPremium
Uttar Pradesh governor Ram Naik and chief minister Akhilesh Yadav at the swearing-in ceremony of new ministers in Lucknow on Monday. Photo: PTI

Lucknow: Former Uttar Pradesh (UP) mines minister Gayatri Prajapati was on Monday reinducted into the UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav cabinet.

People familiar with the matter said the move was an apparent attempt by Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav to bridge the widening chasm in his family, drawing instant flak from opposition parties.

Besides Prajapati, against whose reinduction a social activist had petitioned the UP governor, three others were sworn in. Six ministers of state (MoS) were elevated to cabinet rank in what is perhaps the last expansion of the Akhilesh Yadav ministry before the 2017 assembly polls.

UP governor Ram Naik administered the oath of office and secrecy to Manoj Pandey, Shivakant Ojha and Ziauddin Rizvi, besides Prajapati at the Raj Bhawan. Rizvi was not able to take oath in June when the cabinet was last expanded as he was abroad.

Three MoS (independent charge) Riaz Ahmed, Yasir Shah and Ravidas Mehtrotra, and MoS Abhishek Mishra, Narendra Verma and Shankhlal Majhi were elevated to cabinet rank.

Raj Kishore Singh, who too was dropped along with Prajapati, was not included. Prajapati was considered close to Akhilesh’s uncle and state party chief Shivpal Yadav.

Ahead of the swearing-in function, Akhilesh dropped MoS (food) Lakshmikant alias Pappu Nishad.

Mulayam told reporters he recommended Prajapati’s name for reinduction and “the chief minister accepted it". “Moreover, the backward class leader is a hardworking and loyal soldier of the party," he said.

Mulayam’s cousin and Rajya Sabha member Ramgopal Yadav, who is close to Akhilesh, was conspicuous by his absence at the Raj Bhawan. The Akhilesh ministry now comprises 32 cabinet ministers, 9 MoS (independent charge) and 19 MoS.

This was the eighth expansion of the Akhilesh Yadav government since it assumed office in 2012. The UP council of ministers now has the maximum permissible strength of 60 ministers.

Hours after Prajapati rejoined Akhilesh’s team, the opposition Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress ridiculed the chief minister for his “sudden change of mind". BSP chief Mayawati said Akhilesh Yadav’s U-turn showed he was a “weak CM".

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Published: 26 Sep 2016, 09:51 PM IST
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