LUCKNOW, NOV 21: In the first signs of potential trouble for Ram Prakash Gupta coalition ministry in Uttar Pradesh, its three key constituents, LCP, JBSP and Janata Dal (R), sulking over "discrimination" in portfolio allocation, today directed their ministers not to take charge till corrective measures were taken by the Chief Minister.A day after Gupta allocated portfolios to his colleagues, the three parties also decided to boycott tomorrow's first cabinet meeting.LCP president Naresh Agarwal, Jantantrik Bahujan Samaj Party spokesman Jai Narain Tewari and JD (R) leader Rajaram Pandey told reporters that the coalition partners would chalk out their future course of action if their grievances were not redressed."Our ministers will not take charge of their respective offices till our grievances on allocation of portfolios are redressed," the three leaders said.Agarwal said he would raise the issue with Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee when he visits Delhi on November 25 while Tewari said JBSP'sexecutive committee would meet here on November 26 to discuss the issue and warned if immediate corrective measures were not taken, BJP would be responsible for the consequences.Agarwal and Tewari took strong exception to the Chief Minister's remarks that portfolios were allocated keeping in view the "efficiency" of concerned ministers and accused a "caucus" within the state bjp of taking decision on "our behalf"."The Chief Minister should specify the parameters of efficiency," they said, adding, "He should tell us whether efficiency means experience, education or being yes men."Charging the Bharatiya Janata Party with intending to run the government as its "sister concern", Agarwal said "He (Gupta) must withdraw the word "efficiency".He, however, said his party was ready to enter into any kind of dialogue with the CM to resolve the issue.Asked if the CM did not invite LCP for talks, Agarwal said "we will chalk out our future strategy only after meeting the Prime Minister."Flaying the ChiefMinister's reported statement that he might go in for snap polls, he said the Loktantrik Congress Party had supported the BJP-led coalition only to provide stability to the state.The LCP president said the distribution of portfolios was "one sided" with the BJP ministers getting the important departments.Stressing the need to form a co-ordination committee, he said similar problems might arise in future if such a committee was not formed.
