NEW DELHI: Uttar Pradesh’s CM-designate Yogi Adityanath was in the national capital on Wednesday, two days before the swearing-in ceremony.
He was meeting senior BJP leaders including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BL Santosh and JP Nadda at the latter’s residence.
If sources are to be believed, Yogi discussed formation of the ministry and details of preparations for the swearing-in to be held in Lucknow with much fanfare.
“It is learnt that Yogi discussed the probable faces in the Cabinet, who will take oath on the same day,” said a party source, adding that the UP cabinet will have many new faces this time, including women.
Sources added that they discussed the proportional representations in the ministry of all castes, OBCs and SCs. It is still not clear if Keshav Prasad Maurya will remain Deputy CM after losing in the elections.
Around 45,000 people including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, five CMs and more than 250 VVIPs are likely at the swearing-in ceremony.
Yogi is learnt to have informed the party leaders that invitations to almost all business tycoons have been sent to attend the swearing-in ceremony.
“Yogi wants to make UP a trillion dollar economy. That’s why business tycoons have been invited,” said a source.
BJP retained power by winning 255 of the 403 seats.
Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel on Wednesday appointed senior BJP leader Ramapati Shastri as the pro-tem speaker of the state Legislative Assembly.
Shastri, who is a BJP MLA from Mankapur in Gonda district, will administer the oath to newly elected legislators.
Shastri has been appointed the pro-tem speaker by the Governor, Assembly Principal Secretary Pradeep Kumar Dubey said.
Shastri, an eight-time MLA, was the social welfare minister in the previous Yogi Adityanath government.
According to sources, the list sent to the Governor for the selection of the pro-tem speaker had 17 names, including Samajwadi Party MLA Mohd Azam Khan, who is a 10-time MLA.
He is presently in the Sitapur jail.
There were names of three nine-time MLAs, Suresh Khanna, Rampal Verma and Durga Prasad Yadav.
Names of eight-time MLAs Ramapati Shastri, Satish Mahana, Jai Pratap Singh were also in the list, they said.
Independent MLA Raghuraj Pratap Singh, also called Raja Bhaiya, a seven-time MLA, also featured in the list.
(With PTI Inputs)