 "Akhilesh Yadav")
Cracking the whip on non-performers in his government, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav today sacked eight ministers from his Council of Ministers before the widely expected cabinet reshuffle later this week.
While five held the cabinet minister rank, the remaining three were junior ministers in their respective departments.
There had been growing murmurs in the corridors of power for quite some time about possible reshuffle in the government and action against some ministers.
The eight sacked ministers are Ambika Chaudhary, Narad Rai, Shivkant Ojha, Yogesh Bhaiya, Aridaman Singh, Bhagwat Sharan Gangwar, Alok Shakya and Shiv Beria.
Besides, nine other ministers were stripped of their additional portfolios. These include senior ministers viz. Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiyaa, Ahmad Hasan and Avdhesh Prasad.
Yesterday, the CM had called upon Governor Ram Naik to discuss the possible reshuffle in the Council of Ministers and induction of some faces.
Given the total strength of UP assembly, there can be maximum of 60 ministers in the state Council of Ministers, including both cabinet and ministers of state. The total strength of the state Council of Ministers had been 56, of which two sitting ministers had died paring the resultant strength to 54.
Now with the sacking of eight ministers, Yadav now has the leeway to induct a maximum of 14 new members in the Council of Ministers to strike a more favourable balance in giving representation to the different castes and communities before the 2017 UP polls.
The government has not attached any reason with the sacking of ministers.
There have been indications from top ruling Samajwadi Party leaders including Mulayam Singh Yadav, Shivpal Singh Yadav and Ram Gopal Yadav that action would be taken against ministers for their slackness or corruption.
