4 more Maya ministers get the boot

The BSP also dropped from its list of candidates Small-Scale Industry Minister Chandradeo Ram Yadav,whose removal the Lokayukta has recommended for working as headmaster of one school and manager of another even after becoming a minister. He represents Mubarakpur seat in Azamgarh district.

After Friday’s dismissals,the number of ministers Mayawati has dropped in the past six days has gone up to 10. The BSP has so far denied ticket to more than 80 of its 200-odd MLAs,including several ministers. Mayawati has called a meeting of party coordinators at her residence on Saturday to discuss the final list of candidates,sources said.

In a statement,a BSP spokesman said the four ministers had been sacked to prevent them from misusing their official position and putting undue pressure on the people in the elections.

The party had received complaints that they were not paying attention to the people’s problems,neglecting their constituencies and local party workers,leading to resentment,the statement said.

Of the four,the Lokayukta had indicted Anees Ahemad alias Phul Babu many months ago for misusing his MLA local area development fund,while he is probing complaints of corruption against Fateh Bahdur Singh and Sadal Prasad.

Fateh Bahadur,the son of former Congress chief minister the late Vir Bahadur Singh,is a fourth-term MLA from Paniyara in Maharajganj district. He was elected to the Assembly as a Congress nominee in 1991 and 1996,later joined the BJP and won as its candidate in 2002,before joining the BSP.

Ahemad is an old BSP hand and a third-time MLA from Bisalpur constituency in Pilibhit district. Sadal Prasad,too,is also an old BSP hand who was first elected to the Assembly from Bansgaon in 2002.

Shahjil Islam Ansari was first elected to the Assembly as an Independent in 2002. Later,he joined the BSP and won from Bhojipura constituency in Bareilly in 2007.