Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Science and Technology Minister Sudhir Goel resigned today, fuelling speculation of a Cabinet expansion in which Chief Minister Mayawati will induct senior BSP leaders who ensured victory in the recent assembly bypolls. A senior official in the Chief Minister's Secretariat said Goel had cited "health reasons" for the sudden resignation.

BSP sources said he had not been regular at Cabinet meetings. Chief Minister Mayawati had a fortnight ago divested Goel of the Information Department portfolio he held along with ST. He was, however, not being sidelined and is likely to be given charge of the party in the assembly elections scheduled in some states and Lok Sabha elections in 2009, the sources said.

They said some senior party leaders who played a significant role in ensuring victory of the BSP in the recent byelections were likely to be inducted in the Cabinet.

Mayawati may induct Nawab Kazim Ali, who won from Swar Tanda to keep Samajwadi Party leader Mohammad Azam Khan at bay. Ali resigned as member of the legislative assembly after the win.

The Chief Minister was expected to hold a meeting of senior party leaders and ministers in the next few days to decide the "choices" for induction into the four-month-old ministry.