Lucknow, Mar 19: Yogi Adityanath, the Mahant of Gorakhnath Matt, would take oath as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh today. The priest-cum-politician would be heading the first BJP-led government in Uttar Pradesh in 14 years. Adityanath’s name was finalised as the chief minister on Saturday. The party also announced two deputy CMs – BJP state unit chief Keshav Prasad Maurya and Lucknow Mayor Dinesh Sharma. Along with the trio, other ministers to be included in the Cabinet would also be taking oath today.
Although BJP is yet to reveal the names of State Cabinet ministers, the party is expected to have contemplated over the choices, weighing caste dynamics along with political equations. The Adityanath-led government is also expected to accommodate a couple of turncoats. As per a report in Navbharat Times, 40 MLAs could be sworn-in as cabinet ministers of Uttar Pradesh.
Here is a list of probable ministers to be included in the State Cabinet:
Sunil Bansal: The 47-year-old is attributed as the ‘Chanakya’ behind BJP’s massive victory in Uttar Pradesh. Bansal, along with Amit Shah, charged in 2014 to prepare BJP’s strategy in UP during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Following the splendid result, Shah kept Bansal as his key aide in UP. In this round of elections, he was charged with preparing booth-wise reports. His efficient backdoor electioneering allowed BJP to tactfully address the dissent among party cadres across Uttar Pradesh. Bansal is also credited for reaching out to non-Yadav OBCs and non-Jatav Dalits by preparing a door-to-door strategy.
Brijesh Pathak: The former Rajya Sabha MP switched from BSP to BJP ahead of the UP elections. with over three decades of experience in state politics, Brijesh ended up serving as a major asset to the saffron party. Not only did he succeeded in bringing a share of BSP electorate towards BJP, but also wrested the key constituency of Lucknow Central from the Samajwadi Party. He is likely to be awarded with the chief ministerial post.
Rita Bahuguna Joshi: Another influential turncoat is Rita Bahuguna Joshi. She switched from the Congress to BJP weeks before the elections. Joshi ended up defeating Mulayam Singh Yadav’s daughter-in-law Aparna Yadav from Lucknow Cantt. The veteran politician, who was once the face of Congress in UP, is most most probably going to be revealed as one of the state cabinet ministers in the BJP regime. (ALSO SEE – Yogi Adityanath is Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister: 10 things to know about BJP’s Hindutva CM for UP)
Shrikant Sharma: One of the national media convenors of BJP, Shrikant Sharma is an influential voice of the saffron party on prime time televisions. Making his electoral debut in Uttar Pradesh, he ended up wresting the Mathura seat from Samajwadi Party. Shrikant, known for his proximity to Amit Shah and Keshav Prasad Maurya, could end up being provided a space in Adityanath’s cabinet.
Swami Prasad Maurya: The BSP rebel is one of the tallest leader in state politics, having served as the Leader of Opposition between May 2012 to June 2016. His entry into the BJP provided the saffron party a fresh impetus to reach out lower rungs of OBC, disenchanted with both the BSP and Samajwadi Party. Maurya won the Padrauna seat for BJP with a margin of more than 40,000 votes.
Sangeet Som: Considering the elevation of Adityanath as CM, his counterpart in western UP – Sangeet Som, could be provided a position in the Cabinet. Som turned into a strong Hindutva face, especially after his alleged role in the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots. He also remained in the limelight following the Dadri lynching episode, as he demanded “punitive action against the cow slaughterers”.
Garima Singh: BJP MLA from Amethi, 60-year-old Garima Singh made her first political venture in the Assembly polls. She happens to be the niece of former PM VP Singh and is a descendant of the royal family of Daiya. Despite her prolonged absence, she enjoys fair amount of support among locals. In July 2014, she returned to the family’s Bhupati Bhawan palace in Amethi, along with her three children, and camped in one portion of the palace for days while, getting involved in a bitter battle for family fortunes against ex-husband Sanjay Singh and his second wife Amita.
Rajesh Agarwal: A five-time sitting MLA, Rajesh Agarwal had won the Bareilly City seat four times for the party and later shifted to Bareilly Cantt seat in 2012 to win it convincingly. He had served as a Deputy Speaker of Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly from 2004 to 2007 and is a right choice to be chosen as a cabinet minister for the status that he maintains in the minority community.
Dr Radha Mohan Das Agarwal: Known for his parliamentary acumen and knowledge, Dr Radha Mohan Das Agarwal was nominated from the BJP in 15th (2007), 16th (2012) and 17th (2017) Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly. Interestingly, he emerged as a winner all the three times. Agrawal is a four-time legislator from Gorakhpur and is famous for his simplicity and down to earth nature. In the recently concluded Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections 2017, he has won with 1,22,221 votes against his competitors from Gorakhpur Urban seat.
Pankaj Singh: Stake on Pankaj Singh getting a cabinet birth is very high being the elder son of Home Minister Rajnath Singh. He is currently working as the General Secretary of the Uttar Pradesh BJP. Singh has been active in politics since 2002. In Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections 2017, he won the Noida Assembly seat.
Neelkanth Tiwari: The newly elected BJP MLA from Varanasi South, Neelkanth Tiwari had served as a student union office bearer and also the president of Central Bar Association of Varanasi. Tiwari’s candidature in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections 2017 came as a surprise as Dayashankar Mishra was being considered as front runner in the race for the party ticket. Mishra had given tough contest to opposition in 2012 election as Congress candidate but later joined the BJP.
(Disclaimer: The names are based on speculations and reports)
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