LUCKNOW: With the completion of the Mahakumbh and the budget session of the state assembly nearing its end on March 5, the Yogi Adityanath cabinet may soon witness a rejig for which the party top brass is believed to have completed the homework. As per party insiders, while 2-3 ministers may be relieved of their responsibilities, 4-5 new faces may be inducted in the reshuffle.
Sources also claimed that leaders who had been working in the organisation for a long time may find a place in the cabinet this time. The portfolios of a few may be changed, while ministers who have not performed up to the mark and have failed to curb corruption may be removed.
“Regional balance will also be a consideration during the reshuffle. A couple of faces from western UP will find a place in the cabinet entrusted with some significant portfolios,” said a senior BJP leader.
On the other hand, the age factor is likely to be another consideration while deciding the omissions and inclusions of ministers. “This time, the age limit of 75 years could be a deciding factor in the cabinet reshuffle and the central leadership has already taken feedback from the state unit in this regard,” said the leader adding that the reshuffle may come in the next 8-10 days.
Besides the cabinet reshuffle, the BJP has been contemplating bringing in a new chief for the party's state unit. The central leadership is reported to be looking for a face who can lead the party into the 2027 assembly polls and come out victorious. The state unit may get a new president in the first week of March.
“With an eye on the 2027 challenge, the state BJP chief should be a person who can strike a better coordination between the organisation and the government while keeping the party cadre enthused,” says a senior party leader seeking anonymity. However, caste equations would be a significant consideration while deciding on the new state BJP chief.
If party insiders are to be believed, the election of the new chief of the UP BJP will be held immediately after the announcement of the names of districts unit heads.
The present UP BJP chief Bhupendra Chaudhury had said that the announcement of the names of BJP district unit chiefs was delayed due to the Delhi Assembly elections and the Mahakumbh.
Significantly, the party’s national general secretary Vinod Tawde was in Lucknow recently. He held deliberations with party leaders and CM Yogi Adityanath over the organisational elections.
It may be recalled that in 2017, when Keshav Prasad Maurya had been leading the state unit of BJP, the party romped home with a mammoth majority. However, in the new government, Maurya assumed the role of the deputy CM and the UP BJP got Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey as the new chief.
After Pandey, the party’s central leadership appointed the then cabinet minister Swatantra Dev Singh as the party chief in the state. He led the party to victory in 2022 but with a reduced strength.
“Swatantra Dev Singh was supposed to be close to the CM. Though the BJP returned to power under his stewardship, the graph of the organisation came down,” says Prof AK Mishra, a political scientist.
Singh was replaced by Bhupendra Chaudhury, a prominent western UP Jat leader with a fair experience of working in the organisation. However, Chaudhury failed to deliver in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and the party’s tally came down from 64 to 33. Moreover, during Chaudhury’s stint, there had been a lot of rumblings between the state government and the party organisation. Consequently, the top brass is treading cautiously this time while deciding the face to head the UP unit of the BJP.
Praising the patience and discipline of the policemen who were engaged in Mahakumbh, UP CM Yogi Adityanath announced that 75,000 personnel who served during Mahakumbh will be awarded the 'Mahakumbh Seva Medal' along with a citation. Additionally, non-gazetted officers will receive a special bonus of Rs 10,000, and all policemen will be granted a week's leave in a phased manner.
