JOIN USBalwant Singh Ramoowalia, who was a senior Shiromani Akali Dal leader till Friday, surprised everyone by taking oath as a Cabinet minister during UP CM Akhilesh Yadav’s Cabinet rejig on Saturday.
Ramoowalia, 73, who originally hails from Moga, was neither a member of either of the UP Assembly houses nor was known to SP leaders and ministers, who, too, were surprised by his induction. Even he learned about it on Friday evening.
“I came to know about my induction in the ministry only last evening...I have been associated with Mulayam Singh Yadav for the past many years...I am a socialist,” Ramoowalia said after taking oath of office and secrecy. He also claimed that he had been living in Ghaziabad town for many years.
Ramoowalia had also served as the labour, social welfare and food minister at the Centre in the United Front government of H D Deve Gowda. SP supremo Mulayam was the defence minister in that government. He is likely to be nominated to the state Legislative Council shortly. Sources in the ruling SP said Ramoowalia had been inducted in the ministry on the advice of Mulayam with the ‘specific objective’ of wooing the Sikhs, who live in some central districts of the state.
Sikh votebank
There is a considerable presence of Sikh voters in Lakhimpur-Kheri, Pilibhit, Shahajahanpur and Bareilly districts. “Ramoowalia could come handy in bringing the Sikh community to the party fold,” said a senior SP leader, who was present at the oath taking ceremony.
At least on a couple of seats in Pilibhit district, Sikh votes play a crucial role in the polls. Some SP leaders, however, could not hide their displeasure at Ramoowalia’s induction though they chose to remain silent. There were also murmurs of dissent when Ramoowalia was called for taking the oath.