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Rabri inducts three BSP rebels in Ministry

By K. Balchand

PATNA June 17. The Bihar Chief Minister, Rabri Devi, today inducted three "rebel'' BSP legislators into her Cabinet dealing a major blow to the party which only a month ago had joined hands with the BJP to lead a coalition Government in Uttar Pradesh.

The BSP state unit chief and legislature party leader, Mahabali Singh, was taken in as a Cabinet Minister, while two other legislators, Rajesh Singh and Cheddi Lal Ram, have been given the rank of Minister of State. Their portfolios have not been announced.

The Governor, V.C. Pandey, administered the oath of office to the three, taking the strength of the Council of Ministers to 65 with 32 Cabinet Ministers, including the Chief Minister.

The National Democratic Alliance constituents, including the BJP, the Samata Party and the JD(U), boycotted the function.

Soon after the swearing-in ceremony, the three claimed that they were still in the BSP and had acted on the "approval'' given by the party president, Kanshi Ram, about six months ago.

Mr. Mahabali Singh admitted that they did not discuss the issue with the party leadership over the issue in recent days.

He ruled out the possibility of the party taking any action against them.

The indication was that they had acted on their own discretion and waiting for the party to initiate action against them so as to either form a separate group or join the ruling RJD.

Mr. Singh maintained that the legislative wing comprising five legislators was united and all of them would swim or sink together.

He said the other two could not be given a berth in the Council of Ministers due to the chargesheets pending against them.

He said their objective was to strengthen the hands of the RJD supremo, Laloo Prasad Yadav, for the cause of secularism.

On his part Mr. Yadav also took the stand that the attempt was to win over the secular forces and weaken the communal ones in a bid to isolate them. The Congress general secretary, Oscar Fernandes, said the three MLAs had quit the BSP and had formed a separate unit and, hence, the Congress, which is part of the coalition government, had no reservations over the issue.

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