CM puts off Cabinet meet, but why?

WHAT COMPELLED Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav to defer the State Cabinet meeting that was likely to consider the Bill to provide reservation to Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and other backward classes in private engineering and medical colleges of the State?

WHAT COMPELLED Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav to defer the State Cabinet meeting that was likely to consider the Bill to provide reservation to Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and other backward classes in private engineering and medical colleges of the State?

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The CM was scheduled to preside over the State Cabinet meeting this morning.

However, he deferred the meeting late on Monday evening. Sources said the Chief Minister put off the meeting to be available for discussions with NDA convenor George Fernandes. The Chief Minister was closeted with Fernandes since 9 am. The two leaders held discussions regarding the prevailing political situation and Yadav’s attempts to bring all socialists on a common platform.

Later, the Chief Minister went to the State Guest House to meet Samajwadi Party leader Janeshwar Mishra.

Another reason for the meeting to be deferred was unavailability of Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Anil Kumar. Sources said the CM could be not briefed about the Cabinet’s agenda as Kumar was out of station. Moreover, the State Cabinet had authorised the CM to take an appropriate decision about the reservation issue in its last meeting. As some ministers had expressed strong reservations against the quota move, the Chief Minister obviously decided to defer the meeting to allow more time to take a final decision on the issue.