Lucknow: Continuing to bolster her ranks ahead of a possible trial of strength in the Budget session of the state Assembly, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on February 6 inducted into her ministry three more MLAs who deserted Congress and joined the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

The Chief Minister also elevated a BSP Minister of State to the Cabinet rank.

Rajpal Tyagi, Vinod Kumar Yadav and Dinesh Singh, who had joined the BSP on February 5, have been made Ministers of State with independent charge while BSP's Minister of State for Cultural Affairs Ramesh Kumar Sharma was elevated to the Cabinet rank.

All the four were administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Vishnu Kant Shastri at the Raj Bhavan.

With the February 6 reshuffling, the strength of the Mayawati government has gone up to 77.

The BSP's strength in the Assembly also has gone up to 106.

PTI