LUCKNOW: Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has once again proved his critics correct that it would take much more time for him to come out of the umbrella of his father and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav.
Akhilesh has held more than 50 lucrative portfolios with him and did not share key departments like energy, sugar, forest with his Cabinet colleagues, which might anger some of the ministers sooner or later.
Besides, some ministers have been gifted the same departments which they had in his father’s previous regime between 2003 and 2007 and brought infamy to the government. First among them is Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiyya, who has been again given the department of Food and Civil Supplies. It was in his previous regime that foodgrain scandal had taken place and the CBI is still investigating the case. Thousands of tonnes of foodgrain earmarked for the public distribution system had been clandestinely sold to private traders and also smuggled out to neighbouring countries, including Sri Lanka and Nepal.
Similarly Raj Kishore Singh was the Minister for Horticulture in the government of Yadav senior and has been gifted the same portfolio by Akhilesh despite grave charges of misappropriation of funds in his department in the previous regime.
Rajaram Pandey is another tainted minister who has been allotted the same department this time. Shivpal Singh Yadav, uncle of Akhilesh Yadav, and Mohammad Azam Khan have also been given the same portfolios. Azam Khan must be a little disappointed as he was hoping to get the Home Ministry, but the Chief Minister has dashed his hopes.
For whatever reasons, Akhilesh is just proving to be the carbon copy of his father.