M A I N   N E W S

Expansion family affair for Mulayam
Our Correspondent

Lucknow, September 7
The sudden expansion of the Mulayam Singh Yadav one-man Cabinet late last night proved to be a family affair, with son, brother and “close lieutenants” finding places in the Cabinet.

He inducted six ministers — two each from the Samajwadi Party, the Rashtriya Kranti Party of Kalyan Singh and the Rashtriya Lok Dal of Ajit Singh.

In a simple function at the Raj Bhavan yesterday, Shivpal Singh Yadav, younger brother of Mulayam Singh Yadav, and Rajveer Singh, son of Kalyan Singh, were sworn in.

Anuradha Chaudhry of the RLD a close confidante of Ajit Singh, and the controversial corporator-turned MLC, Kusum Rai, said to be close to Kalyan Singh, added glamour to the Cabinet.

Though Kusum Rai has been sworn in for the first time in the Cabinet, she had considerable influence over officials when Kalyan Singh was the Chief Minister of the state in 1997. Her interference in the day-to-day administration was well-known. Emergence of Kusum Rai as a power broker led to resentment in the BJP, which ultimately led to the ouster of Kalyan Singh from the BJP.

She accepts that Kalyan Singh has helped her reach the position. “People had said, and are saying, nasty things about me and Kalyan Singh. I am not bothered about this,” she told a select group of journalists today.

“Every woman who comes to politics needs support and every woman in politics is claimed to be having romantic liaisons with some leader. It has not happened for the first time and nor would the people stop saying ugly things in future. Then why bother about what people say,” she said.

She, however, said that she was indebted to Kalyan Singh as well as Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav for considering her competent for the new job.

On the other hand, the RLD leader Anuradha Chaudhry is no novice. She was a minister in the Mayawati government and was given the important portfolio of PWD.

Incidentally, in the Mayawati government, before the RLD withdrew support, Mrs Chaudhry, a first-time MLA, had the important portfolio, while the leader of the RLD Legislature Party and four-time MLA, Kokab Hamid, was heading the unimportant department of Minor Irrigation.