Talks of UP cabinet rejig gain strength

Lucknow: After the major cabinet reshuffle at the Centre, speculations are once again doing the rounds of a much-awaited cabinet reshuffle in Uttara Pradesh.

According to highly placed sources, the removal of senior ministers at the centre on grounds of non-performance, has made it easier for Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to take similar action in Uttar Pradesh.

The chief minister, for some months now, has been wanting to divest some senior ministers of their portfolios.

However, apparently under pressure from the party high command, he was not allowed to do so.

“There are many considerations in keeping a leader in the ministry. There are caste and regional factors that have to be taken into consideration,” admitted a BJP functionary.

However, the manner in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi has shown the door to veterans like Ravi Shanker Prasad, Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank, Prakash Javdekar and Harshvardhan, it will now make it easier for Yogi Adityanath to crack the whip.

Moreover, since the majority of the seven new ministers inducted in the union cabinet are from OBC and Dalit castes, the chief minister can easily replace some ministers form these caste groups in the state.

According to sources close to him, the chief minister would prefer to induct some new faces who have a jest for performance and can further improve the image of the government.

“At present, it appears that Yogi Adityanath is the only one working in the government. He would certainly prefer some more ‘working hands’ who can add vibrancy to the government,” said an official, known for his proximity to the chief minister.

The cabinet reshuffle in Uttar Pradesh has been pending since January and the induction of former bureaucrat-turned-politician, Arvind Kumar Sharma, in the council of ministers has also been long overdue.

With Jitin Prasada also joining the BJP, he is also been seen as a strong contender for a ministerial post in the state.