There has been a swirl of speculations regarding the new ministry of Yogi Adityanath in Uttar Pradesh.
Some of the speculations veer between extremes.
For instance, on the matter of deputy chief ministers, there are equally strong voices claiming that there will be three deputies and those claiming that there will be none. Among the three names touted is that of Babi Rani Maurya, the former governor of Uttarakhand who fought and won the assembly election from Agra Rural. The other name doing the rounds is that of Arvind Kumar Sharma, the former IAS officer brought in from Gujarat in January 2021. Sharma being made deputy CM has been a speculation that has been on ever since he came to the state. However, so far, he has had to be content with the largely ornamental post of state party vice president. The selection of the deputy CMs will be made with an eye on caste combinations. The outgoing ministry had a Brahmin and an OBC deputy CM.
Meanwhile, according to sources, Sanjay Nishad, the president of the Nirbal Indian Shoshit Hamara Aam Dal, an ally of the BJP, has voiced his desire to be the deputy CM. Nishad’s party won six seats in the recently concluded polls.
Both Suresh Khanna (minister for finance) and Satish Mahana (minister for industries) are set to return to the government. As are Brijesh Pathak (law minister), Jitin Prasada (technical education minister), Sidharth Nath Singh (MSME minister), Nand Gopal Nandi (civil aviation minister), Surya Pratap Shahi (minister for agriculture), Srikant Sharma (power minister) and Mohsin Raza (minority affairs minister).
The new names that are ministerial hopefuls include Aditi Singh, who left the Congress in January 2022, and Rajeshwar Singh, the Enforcement Directorate officer who resigned from service just before the election.
Also on the list of aspirants is Dayashankar Singh, husband of Swati Singh (minister for women’s affairs in the outgoing ministry).
Aparna Bisht, the younger daughter-in-law of Mulayam Singh Yadav who joined the BJP, might also get a ministerial berth. Bisht had campaigned extensively for the party. She was also present on the dais constructed in the premises of the UP BJP office on the day the results were announced, alongside Adityanath and state party president Swatantra Dev Singh. Her arrival at the party office had elicited much cheering from young party workers gathered to celebrate the victory. Bisht had joined the party right after the exodus of prominent OBC leaders Swami Prasad Maurya and Dharam Singh Saini, and her coming into the party fold was hailed as a kind of payback to the Samajwadi Party.
A total of 62 ministers, including 28 cabinet ministers, will likely be sworn in.
Meanwhile, the only reliable information thus far is that the swearing-in will take place on March 21 at Lucknow’s Ekana Stadium. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to be present on the occasion.
