Sacking ministers a couple of months before elections might not salvage embattled Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati as the central bureau of investigation (CBI) seems to have plans for her.

Highly-placed sources in the state government say that the CBI is planning to make the tainted former family welfare minister, Babu Singh Kushwaha, a prosecution witness in a corruption case the agency plans to register in the national rural health mission (NRHM) scam. The agency may also register a case against former state health minister Anant Mishra and a few other top state officials soon, CBI sources say.

On Tuesday, the investigating agency interrogated Kushwaha for many hours for his alleged role in the NRHM scam and also the murder of two CMOs. The agency is likely to interrogate Anant Mishra in this connection on Wednesday.

Sources in the state government say that the investigating agency may use information obtained from Kushwaha’s interrogation to tighten noose against BSP supremo. Political analysts believe such an action might spell doom for the party’s poll prospects in the upcoming assembly elections. On April 7, 2011, Kushwaha was forced to resign after being implicated in the murder of two CMOs BP Singh and VK Arya.

Both were shot dead by two attackers on motorcycles, in central Lucknow, in broad daylight. The same gun had been used in both cases. It was alleged that their honesty was coming in the way of a political mafia who were skimming off large sums from the health services.

Later in November, Kushwaha was expelled from the party. The BSP in its statement also said that off late Kushwaha was in touch with the Congress party to save himself from the CBI probe.