LUCKNOW: Tainted former Uttar Pradesh Mines Minister Gayatri Prajapati was today reinducted into the Akhilesh Yadav cabinet in an apparent attempt by SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav to bridge the widening chasm in his family, drawing instant flak from the opposition parties.
Besides Prajapati, against whose reinduction a social activist had petitioned the Governor, three others were sworn in, while six MoS were also elevated to the cabinet rank in what is perhaps the last expansion of the Akhilesh Yadav ministry before the 2017 assembly polls.
Governor Ram Naik administered the oath of office and secrecy to Manoj Pandey, Shivakant Ojha and Ziauddin Rizvi, besides Prajapati at the Raj Bhawan here. 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 Ministers of State 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. (AGENCIES)
Follow our WhatsApp channel
