After a massive win in the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is in the process of making last-minute tweaks to the list of chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s cabinet and council of ministers.
This, senior party leaders said, is being done on the directions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to have a perfect balance in the cabinet and council, with proper representation to every section of society.
Union home minister Amit Shah, who has been made the observer for the state, along with his co-observer former Jharkhand CM Raghubar Das, will reach Lucknow on March 21.
Sources said although the visit of observers is usually customary, with Shah as an observer things are different. “We expect a thorough review and some tweaks as leaders sit down to finalise the future cabinet and council in Uttar Pradesh,” said a senior party leader, who handled major responsibilities during the polls.
Meanwhile, the most-talked-about meeting in the state and in the centre remained that of Yogi and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat in Gorakhpur. While Bhagwat is on a three-day pravas there, Yogi was present in Gorakhpur to celebrate Holi.
PROBABLE MINISTERS
The names that are expected to be included on the list of ministers, according to sources:
SWATANTRA DEV SINGH: The party’s president in the most crucial state had been one of the most accessible leaders in the state. He is an MLC and sources close to the top brass believe that Singh, with his proximity to Yogi, is likely to find a place in the new cabinet.
BRAJESH PATHAK: The law minister in the previous Yogi government and a Brahmin face of the party in UP, various sources have stamped his name as a probable minister.
SRIKANT SHARMA: Sources said that Sharma is likely to secure a berth in Yogi’s cabinet.
KUNWAR BRIJESH SINGH: An MLA from Deoband seat, a tough seat to contest with Yadavs and Muslims in significant numbers, sources said that Singh is likely to be rewarded for winning the seat.
ADITI SINGH: Singh is a second-generation politician who was a sitting Congress MLA from Raebareli Sadar seat, a seat her late father Akhilesh Singh represented for years. She quit the Congress ahead of the 2022 assembly polls and branched out to the BJP. Singh defeated Samajwadi Party’s Ram Pratap Yadav.
ASIM ARUN OR RAJESHWAR SINGH: Sources said either Asim Arun, an IPS officer who won Kannauj, or Rajeshwar Singh, formed Enforcement Directorate officer, are likely to be included in the cabinet. Singh had taken voluntary retirement for his debut election. Sources stated that Singh is expected to be rewarded when the council of ministers is formed.
Former ministers Satish Mahana, Ashutosh Tandon, Jitin Prasada and Suresh Khanna are being considered final as ministers. Sources claimed that Baby Rani Maurya, who is an SC, is likely to get a respectable position.
DEPUTY CMS
Sources in the party close to the power centres said five names and two scenarios are being discussed for the post of deputy CMs, and there is no consensus on it.
The names under consideration are Brajesh Pathak, Sri Kant Sharma, Baby Rani Maurya, Dinesh Shama and Keshav Prasad Maurya.
“There is a proposal to repeat both the deputy CMs again if there is no consensus, as there is discussion over repeating Keshav Prasad Maurya. Another discussion is to have a Brahmin deputy CM and both Pathak and Sharma are contenders. Baby Rani Maurya was a governor and she is set to get a senior post. Dinesh Sharma was offered the post of state president, but that deal couldn’t be closed,” said the source.
Sources said that things will be finalised on Monday when Shah is in Lucknow.
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