Yogi cabinet to see rejig after poll results; some ministers may face axe

A major cabinet rejig is on the cards in Uttar Pradesh. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath chaired a review meeting to assess the performance of ministers, on Tuesday. All non-performing ministers are likely to face the axe. Performing ministers will be rewarded with better portfolios.

The rejig assumes significance in the wake of a probable NDA win and the exit poll results predicting the same.

UP sends the maximum number MPs, 80 to be precise. Also, the state has given the maximum number of Prime Ministers to the country.

In the 2014 general elections, riding on a strong Modi wave, the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) won the maximum number of seats from here, 72. Its ally Apna Dal (S) got one. This time too, the party seems to be improving its tally. To enthuse its cadre and workers, the party has coined a slogan – ‘Abki Baar – 74 Paar’ (This time, we will cross 74).

Given the anti-incumbency factor facing the Central and state governments, defending these numbers is indeed an uphill task for the BJP. Keeping this in mind, the top leadership of the state has come up with a ‘reward and penalise’ scheme for its ministers. The basis for a promotion, a demotion or clipping of wings will solely rest on the performance of the ministers.

Four ministers of Uttar Pradesh are in the poll fray  – Rita Bahuguna Joshi from Allahabad, SP Singh Baghel from Agra, Satyadev Pachauri from Kanpur, and Mukut Bihari from Ambedkar Nagar parliamentary constituencies.

Apart from this, Uttar Pradesh BJP president Mahendra Nath Pandey is contesting from Chandauli. Central ministers Rajnath Singh from Lucknow, Maneka Gandhi from Sultanpur, Manoj Sinha from Gazipur, Smriti Irani from Amethi, Anupriya Patel from Mirzapur, Satyapal Singh from Baghpat, General VK Singh from Ghaziabad, Dr Mahesh Sharma from Gautam Budh Nagar, Santosh Gangwar from Barielly, are in the fray. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is himself re-contesting from Varanasi.

Another prestigious seat for the BJP is Yogi Adityanath’s bastion Gorakhpur from where actor-turned-politician Ravi Kishan Shukla is in the fray. Other high-profile constituencies are Mathura and Rampur, from where actors Hema Malini and Jaya Prada are in the fray.

This makes for roughly two dozen VIP contests though there is no denial that all other seats are equally important for the saffron party.

All ministers and MLAs of the party were assigned election duties in specific areas and seats. The ‘reward and penalise’ scheme will be in tandem with the results of the 80 seats in the state. Those who performed well and ensured the win of the party candidate would be considered for promotion.

This apart, the party is also preparing for the next state Assembly elections in 2022. In line with this, CM Yogi Adityanath would also want to maintain a balance in his ministry by ensuring the representation of ministers from all parts of the state. At the moment, there is very little representation from eastern Uttar Pradesh. Some new faces from the Bundelkhand region could be on the Yogi cabinet soon.

Caste representation is also a major cause of concern for the UP CM. With rebel minister Om Prakash Rajbhar being shown the door soon after voting ended on April 19, another leader from this community, Anil Rajbhar, has been inducted in his place to give the Rajbhar community a fair representation.

The cabinet may also get representation from the Kurmi and Lodhi communities to keep the balance of non-Yadav OBCs and non-Jatav Dalits in the ministry. Some senior leaders of the party feel the rainbow coalition base of the party has somewhat corroded with the formation of the Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samaj Party alliance in the state.

Apna Dal president Ashish Patel, who is an MLC, has been knocking on the doors of the Yogi cabinet for a ministerial berth. He is also the spouse of central minister and Apna Dal MP from Mirzapur, Anupriya Patel.

Party sources said the performance appraisal process has already started within the party. Cabinet aspirants are keeping their fingers crossed, hoping to pass the test and eagerly waiting for the election results tomorrow.

(Vivek Avasthi is Senior Editor, Politics, with Business Television India (BTVI))