Raghuraj Pratap Singh back in UP Cabinet

 

Lucknow, Oct 11, 2013, (PTI): Controversial independent MLA Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiya, who had to resign from the UP cabinet in March after killing of DSP Zia-ul-Haq in Pratapgarh, was today re-inducted as a minister.

 

Raja Bhaiya was sworn in by Governor B L Joshi at Raj Bhawan in the presence of SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and senior cabinet minister Mohd Azam Khan.

 

The former Food and Civil Supplies Minister had to resign from the cabinet after being named by DSP Haq’s wife Parvind Azad in the murder case earlier this year.

 

Though the CBI gave clean chit to Raja Bhaiya, Azad had filed a protest application against it.

 

He would be allocated a ministry later. There are a total of 59 ministers in the Cabinet and the upper limit is of 60 ministers.

 

At present, there are 22 Cabinet ministers including CM, six state ministers with independent charges and 31 state ministers.

 

Sources said a new face from Western UP could also be given place in the Cabinet as part of "damage control" after Muzaffarnagar riots.

 

This is the fourth expansion in the Akhilesh Yadav ministry in a span of 19 months.