Former UP minister's death puts off cabinet expansion

The death of Samjwadi Party (SP) legislator Raja Ram Pandey suspended the scheduled Cabinet expansion of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav led ministry today.
Pandey, 58, died last night following a heart attack.
After a gap of three months, the Chief Minister was expected to expand his council of ministers at a function at Raj Bhawan scheduled for this morning, but it has been cancelled, an official told PTI.
This was the fifth cabinet expansion since Yadav took over as the Chief Minister in the SP-led government in March 2012.
In the previous expansion exercise, on October 11, Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiya was reinducted in Akhilesh's cabinet after CBI awarded him clean chit in Deputy SP Zia-ul-Haq murder case in Kunda.

At present there are 22 cabinet ministers including chief minister, six state minister with independent charge and 31 state ministers. With total of 59 ministers, one cabinet berth is still vacant.
The party has not disclosed the name of the person who would be administered oath.