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Gupta inducts 41 more ministers

Sharat Pradhan in Lucknow

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Ram Prakash Gupta today inducted 41 ministers, taking the strength of his council to 91.

Gupta, who was sworn in with the first batch of 50 ministers on Friday, succeeded Kalyan Singh, who was sacked following the Bharatiya Janata Party's dismal performance in the recent parliamentary election.

Described as the country's largest government, the Gupta ministry has surpassed his predecessor's giant 90-member council.

The first batch of ministers included only seven from the BJP and the remaining 43 came from various constituents of the multi-party coalition. But in today's expansion Gupta included every member of the previous ministry. Only one addition was made, apparently at the instance of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

The new face is that of Sheema Rizvi, daughter of Vajpayee's close friend and former food minister Ejaz Rizvi who died recently of a heart attack.

"His daughter, who had been nominated to the upper house of the state legislature after Rizvi's death, was the natural choice to fill the slot of one Muslim nominee in the Cabinet," observed a senior BJP politician.

The chief minister's decision to ensure appeasement of all groups in the faction-ridden BJP followed prolonged parleys with Prime Minister Vajpayee and other senior leaders in New Delhi yesterday. But an equally difficult task that lies ahead is the distribution of portfolios. Gupta has put that off till Friday.

Clearly, the chief minister has been working on Vajpayee's game plan to give berths to every Kalyan Singh loyalist even as the central leadership becomes harsh on the former chief minister.

The senior politician quipped, "By repeatedly targeting Vajpayee, the former chief minister dug his own grave." He wondered on whose advice Kalyan Singh was working.

Another one-time confidant of the former chief minister warned, "It is high time Kalyan Singh maintained a low profile and shed his false ego, otherwise it could be politically detrimental for him."

What has brought some respite to the Kalyan Singh camp is the denial of berths to those who spearheaded the tirade against him. These include Member of the State Legislative Council Rajesh Pandey, whose proximity to Vajpayee was expected to get him a place in the new ministry. Surjeet Singh Dang was another MLA who had played a major role in the anti-Kalyan Singh campaign. He too has been left out.

Both pulled all possible strings to enter the new Council of Ministers, but their efforts came to naught when Union Home Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani put his foot down.

Sources said Advani impressed upon Vajpayee that if such elements were rewarded at this juncture, it would send wrong signals to the party rank and file.

For the same reason, Gupta has not been permitted to cancel the controversial appointment of Kalyan Singh's aide, municipal councillor Kusum Rai, as chairperson of the state women's commission.

Meanwhile, according to insiders, there is a tug-of-war over portfolios. The handful of ministers who cornered key portfolios or were even holding dual charge in the previous government are unwilling to accept any change. But the less privileged ones, who had to remain content with obscure ministries, are demanding a better deal.

Addressing a press conference later in the evening, the chief minister said he would not hesitate to take harsh measures to improve the state's financial condition.

"The situation has deteriorated particularly following the implementation of the Fifth Pay Commission," he said and added that he had already impressed upon Vajpayee that UP would require additional support from the Centre.

EARLIER REPORT:
UP ministry expanded

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