New Delhi, August 17: Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya is likely to move to the Centre to join Narendra Modi’s Council of Ministers, sources said on Thursday. Many key portfolios are lying vacant and several existing ministers have been given additional charges. The Defence Ministry, Urban Development Ministry, Information and Broadcasting Ministry, and Environment Ministry do not have full-time ministers.
The Bharatiya Janata Party does not want to take a risk with Maurya’s constituency Phulpur because to continue as the Deputy CM, he will have to resign from the Lok Sabha and enter the UP Assembly as an MLA or MLC.
Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati resigned as Rajya Sabha MP during the recently-concluded Monsoon Session and is keen to enter the Lok Sabha by contesting from Phulpur.
Sources also added that Tourism Minister Dr Mahesh Sharma might be asked to take over as the Uttar Pradesh BJP chief. BJP president Amit Shah had met Sharma a few days ago but the Gautam Buddha Nagar MP reportedly expressed his reluctance in leaving the post.
Earlier, it was reported that BJP would appoint a Dalit face as UP BJP chief and Bulandshahr MP Bhola Singh and Agra MP Ram Shankar Katheria’s names were doing the rounds. Katheria is now heading the SC/ST Commission in the state.
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