Akhilesh Yadav inducts five ministers

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav Friday expanded his council of ministers for the fifth time, inducting four cabinet ministers and one minister of state.

Cabinet ministers sworn in by Governor B.L. Joshi here were Shivkant Ojha, Iqbal Masood, Mehboob Ali and Shahid Manzoor.

The lone minister of state was Yasser Shah, son of Labour and Employment Minister and senior Samajwadi Party leader Waqar Shah, who was relieved of his duties Friday as he has been ailing for the last one year.

Akhilesh Yadav expanded his ministry a few days back when Gayatri Prajapati and Manoj Pandey, legislators from Amethi and Rae Bareli - the parliamentary constituencies of Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi and party chief Sonia Gandhi respectively - were appointed cabinet ministers.