Expansion Of Mayawati Cabinet Put Off Till Next Month

The proposed expansion of the Bahujan Samaj Party-Bhartiya Janata Party coalition ministry in Uttar Pradesh, led by Mayawati, has been put off and is expected to take place in the first week of May.

BSP and BJP sources yesterday here said discussions between their top leaders were still underway to finalise the names of the prospective ministerial candidates.

Senior BJP leader Atal Behari Vajpayee, who arrived here yesterday, discussed with state party leaders in this regard, a BJP source said.

The leaders are understood to have finalised the list of 12 candidates to be nominated against the vacant seats in the state vidhan parishad.

While the BJP would nominate seven members, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) would share five seats in accordance with their agreement reached at between the coalition partners.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati and BSP leader Kanshi Ram are understood to have finalised the names of parliamentary affairs minister Barkhu Ram Verma, Dauji Gupta, Gayasuddin Kidwai, Daya Ram Pal and Ram Vilas Valmiki, a BSP source said.

Barkhu Ram Verma, the former assembly speaker, is not the member of either of the house and Dauji Gupta is the former mayor of Lucknow.

Darshan Singh Yadav, a prominent Congress leader from Etawah, who recently joined the BJP, is among the seven BJP candidates whose names were discussed during the meeting, sources said.

Among others are Rajesh Pandey