Akhilesh-Shivpal rift widens as 'uncle' skips UP Cabinet expansion ceremony - Read details

Senior Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Yadav skipped the Uttar Pradesh Cabinet expansion ceremony of new ministers at Raj Bhawan in Lucknow today,

Lucknow: Senior Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Yadav on Monday skipped the Uttar Pradesh Cabinet expansion ceremony of new ministers at Raj Bhawan here today, 

According to News18 report. Shivpal was apparently highly miffed with party high-command over Samajwadi Party's U-turn on merger with Quami Ekta Dal (QED), and therefore, stayed back in Etawah. 

The Samajwadi Party had on Saturday revoked its merger with gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari’s QEM. The merger of the two parties was announced on June 21 by Samajwadi Party spokesman and senior Cabinet Minister Shipal Yadav, who is the brother of Akhilesh’s father and party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav.

Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav expanded his Cabinet for the seventh time today in perhaps the last reshuffle of his Council of Ministers ahead of next year's assembly elections in the state.

Three cabinet and two Ministers of State (Independent Charge) were administered oath of office and secrecy by Governor Ram Naik.

Uttar Pradesh Minister Balram Yadav, who was sacked by the Chief Minister last weekend, apparently for facilitating merger with QED, was today re-inducted into the state Cabinet. He took oath as Cabinet minister with Narad Rai and Ziauddin Rizvi here. 

Science and Technology Minister Manoj Pandey was dropped last minute from Akhilesh's cabinet. According to report, CM Akhilesh was reportedly unhappy with Manoj's performance.

Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party Government, which assumed office in 2012, had inducted five Cabinet Ministers in October last year, eight Ministers of State with independent charge and eight Ministers of State.