LUCKNOW: With the swearing-in ceremony of UP CM designate Yogi Adityanath and his cabinet just two days away, the corridors of power in Lucknow are abuzz with the prospects of Keshav Prasad Maurya, the prominent OBC face of UP BJP, being retained in his earlier role in Yogi cabinet 2.0 despite his defeat from his traditional Sirathu seat in Kaushambi in the recently concluded UP Assembly elections.
If the highly-placed BJP sources are to be believed, Maurya, in all probability, will be retained as the deputy CM in Yogi cabinet 2.0. At the same time, BJP state chief Swatantra Deo Singh is also likely to get a key position in the new council of ministers. However, the final seal of approval will be put on the proposed names by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who, as observer flanked by Raghubar Das as co-observer, is expected to come down to Lucknow on Thursday, a day ahead of the swearing-in ceremony.
Meanwhile, sources claimed that a broad consensus was reached on retaining Maurya as the deputy CM.
It may be recalled that Maurya, BJP’s one of the most prominent OBC face and party’s state unit chief, had played a crucial role in leading the BJP to mammoth victory with 312 seats in 2017.
Maurya is also credited with winning over a plethora of non-Yadav backward castes leading the saffron brigade to an impressive victory in 2017 and also in 2022 when the party created history by returning to power for a second consecutive term with a two-third majority.
Similarly, the move to induct BJP state chief Swatantra Deo Singh into the Yogi government is seen as a bid to consolidate its non-Yadav OBCs clout further as they have been loyal to the BJP since 2014. In 2022 assembly elections, around 64 per cent non-Yadav OBC voted in favour of the BJP, six notches up as compared to 2017 assembly polls when 598 per cent non-Yadav OBC had voted for the BJP. Their further consolidation will be crucial for the BJP to accomplish Mission 2024 when PM Narendra Modi will be seeking a third consecutive term as PM, feel the political experts.
Moreover, the scope for a third deputy CM may also be carved out to give representation to an SC face. Former Uttarakhand Governor Baby Rani Maurya, who was made to quit the gubernatorial post and join the mainstream politics ahead of UP assembly elections-2022, is likely to be that face. Baby Rani Maurya has won from the Agra Rural (SC) seat in the recently concluded polls.
On the other, the fate of the other deputy CM, Dr Dinesh Sharma, is hanging in balance. Sources claimed that there were chances of Sharma being replaced by another Brahmin face which would also be decided in the presence of Shah on March 24.
If Swatantra Deo gets a berth in the Yogi cabinet, Sharma could be given the state chief's post, said a reliable source. Even the retention of some key cabinet ministers like Shrikant Sharma, Siddharth Nath Singh and Jai Pratap Singh from Yogi Government 1.0, seems certain in cabinet 2.0.
The UP BJP core group is also likely to go into huddle with Amit Shah and other senior BJP leaders on Thursday to finalise the shape and size of the Yogi Cabinet 2.0.