New Delhi: All the five ministers of Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) in the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) coalition government in Uttar Pradesh will resign on May 24.

Party chief Ajit Singh, who quit the Union Cabinet on May 23 night, disclosed this after a meeting of party MLAs.

The five ministers are Kokab Hamid, Anuradha Chaudhary, Babu Lal, Thakur Tejpal Singh and Swami Omvesh.

The ministers were going back to Lucknow to submit their resignation, Singh told reporters.

Asked whether RLD, a constituent of the Mayawati government would withdraw its support, he said the office bearers of the party would meet shortly to chalk out the future course of action.

"I cannot say anything about withdrawal till the office bearers discuss the matter and take a decision," the RLD leader said.

Twelve of the 14 party MLAs from Uttar Pradesh attended the meeting called by Singh after he quit the Union Cabinet, protesting National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government's "apathy" towards farmers and its failure to create Harit Pradesh.

Ajit Singh said one MLA Samarpal Singh has been suspended for not attending the meeting. Another RLD Minister Babulal was out of station and had informed the party leadership about his absence from the meeting, he said.

He alleged the farmers' problems have aggravated during the Vajpayee government's tenure.

On his resignation from the Union Cabinet, Singh said Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had not talked to him about it.

The RLD leader said he had conveyed to Vajpayee that if there was any change in his portfolio, he would not stay in the Cabinet.

Asked whether he was told to resign by the Prime Minister, Singh said, "You can draw your own conclusions."

He said RLD would decide about the next course of action later.

Asked if the developments would affect the Uttar Pradesh government, he said since RLD was a part of the alliance headed by Mayawati, in the event of the party leaving the coalition, it would have repercussions.

To a question whether he would remain with the NDA, he said, "I was never a part of the NDA. I was only part of the Cabinet."

PTI