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Akhilesh sacks minister who helped merge don Ansari’s party with SP
LUCKNOW: CM Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday dismissed minister for secondary education Balram Yadav, who played an active role in the merger of mafia don-turned-politician
LUCKNOW: CM Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday dismissed minister for secondary education Balram Yadav, who played an active role in the merger of mafia don-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari’s Qaumi Ekta Dal (QED) in the Samajwadi Party here on Tuesday.
According to sources, the CM was not in favour of the merger of QED in the SP. He had made his intentions clear to senior party leaders. So, on Tuesday he gave a strong signal about his opposition to the move, deciding to meet governor Ram Naik within hours of the merger.
Besides inviting the governor for the Raza Iftar he is hosting here on June 25, the CM reportedly handed over two letters to Naik– one recommending dismissal of Balram Yadav, and the other seeking the governor’s nod for expansion of his council of ministers.
While the state government issued a notification dismissing Balram Yadav by Tuesday evening, sources said the timing of the swearing-in ceremony could be communicated to the chief minister soon.
Already, there were three vacancies in the council of ministers and Balram Yadav’s dismissal makes it four vacant posts. In UP, the maximum permissible strength of the council of ministers, including the CM is 60.
“The cabinet expansion may take place in the next few days, maybe on June 27,” said a senior officer.
Various names doing rounds for induction in the state cabinet include Balram Yadav’s son – Sangram Singh Yadav – and the CM’s close lieutenant and the SP’s west UP leader Sanjay Lathar.
