After babus, partymen, Maya sacks minister

LUCKNOW: After a spate of bureaucratic transfers and sacking of party leaders from government-run corporations in the aftermath of her party���s dismal performance in the parliamentary elections, chief minister Mayawati has dropped her state party chief and co-operatives minister Swami Prasad Maurya from the Cabinet.

BSP czarina Mayawati has been taking party leaders and officers to task after her party failed to post impressive results in the just concluded parliamentary elections.

Earlier she transferred dozens of civil and police officers especially those who were posted in districts where BSP lost after an intensive post-election review meeting. She also sacked a large number of the party leaders who were made chairman and members of various government run corporations, commissions and boards.

Mr Maurya, who is also the BSP���s state unit president, was the candidate from the Kushinagar parliamentary seat, which he lost. He had earlier also lost from the Dalmau assembly seat in the 2007 state elections but was made the co-operatives minister by Ms Mayawati in her cabinet.

Ms Mayawati had earlier told party leaders that senior leaders fielded in the 2009 parliamentary elections who ended up losing would not be accommodated in the legislative council or Rajya Sabha.

There was speculations that Ms Mayawati would drop at least half a dozen ministers from her government after her one to one meeting with ministers, earlier this week, to review the performance of the party in constituencies deputed to them. But as per official communication from the Raj Bhawan, Ms Mayawati has as of now only dropped Swami Prasad Maurya from her ministry. Though party leaders said that the jobs of a few ministers are still on the line.

Ms Mayawati���s trusted lieutenant, panchayati raj and mining minister Babu Singh Kushwaha has been given the charge of co-operatives ministry. Ms Mayawati has also divested herself of the charge of the family welfare ministry and handed over the department to Mr Kushwaha.