Uttar Pradesh: Inside scoop of Yogi Adityanath's much-awaited cabinet reshuffle accessed, details here

The long due cabinet reshuffle of the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government is going to take place by this month. Sources privy to the process told to Republic that names had been almost finalized after a go-ahead from BJP national president Amit Shah in a meeting with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and State president Swatantra Dev Singh in New Delhi on August 16.

Earlier, speculations were rife that the expansion is all set to take place on Monday, August 19, itself, but the program was canceled at the last moment. However, many MLAs and some ministers have received communication from CM office, sources added. 

The expansion of the Yogi government- which has still enough space to swell- was long-awaited and buzzes have been on high from time to time, mainly after the Lok Sabha elections. The present Yogi cabinet- after the resignation of newly appointed state president Swatantra Dev Singh- has 42 ministers including the CM and two deputy CMs. The council of CM Yogi now has now 13 state ministers and 9 MoSs with independent charge. Apart from Swatantra Dev, who resigned from the post of MoS transport, three ministerial births have also been vacated by Rita Bahuguna Joshi, SP Singh Baghel and Satyadev Pachauri who have been elected MPs from Pragayraj, Agra and Kanpur respectively. However, having an assembly of 403 MLAs, UP CM is entitled to have up to 60 ministers in his government. 

Highly placed sources in government and party organization have told the Republic that a closed-door exercise was going since the last several months at 5 Kalidas Marg- residence of the UP CM. After coming out victorious in the Lok Sabha polls against the formidable SP-BSP alliance, CM Yogi Adityanath is now focused on his own government’s performance as upcoming 2022 assembly election is going to be the real acid test for his politics. Hence, performance of ministers has been closely monitored by the CM on the basis of 3C- competence, credibility and zero tolerance for corruption. Given the fact that CM Yogi has built his image around zero-tolerance to crime in the state and for no corruption in the system, penalization of a few ministers is certain to be on the cards. As per sources, more than half a dozen ministers are on the CM’s radar against their performance and complaints, out of which not less than three will be asked to go and portfolios will be changed for others. 

READ: Yogi Adityanath To Reshuffle UP Cabinet On Monday