Maya sacks 4 more ministers, 12 in 2 months

Lucknow : UP chief minister Mayawati continued her cleansing drive by dismissing four more ministers on Friday and denying them the BSP ticket for contesting assembly elections, scheduled to be held in February.

All are facing corruption charges. Those who have been removed are forest minister Fateh Bahadur Singh, minister for technical education (independent charge) Sadal Prasad, minister for minorities’ welfare and haj Anis Ahmad alias Phool Babu, and waqf minister Shahjil Islam Ansari.

In the past two months 12 ministers including those sacked on Friday have been dropped on such charges.

A BSP spokesman said the ministers had ignored their assembly segments. The UP lokayukta is investigating corruption charges against Fateh Bahadur Singh and Sadal Prasad.

The lokayukta had earlier indicted Anis Ahmad also.

Also, minister of state for ayurvedic medicine Daddan Mishra sent his resignation to the chief minister after being denied the ticket.

Mishra, who was elected for the first time from Shravasti district in 2007, told HT he had resigned from the ministry on moral grounds.

Stating that he had worked honestly for the party, Mishra said a “baseless charge of anti-party activities has been slapped on him”.

Refusing to elaborate on his action plan, Mishra said he had not resigned from the BSP.

But sources said he was in touch with opposition parties to get nomination, adding he was getting along with BSP coordinator Udai Bhan Gautam.

He had joined the BSP at the time of the 2004 Lok Sabha election.