LUCKNOW Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath reviewed the Covid-19 situation and carried out other official business, besides meeting public representatives amid speculation about a likely cabinet reshuffle in the coming days in Uttar Pradesh.
It was Yogi Adityanath’s first full day in Lucknow after returning from two-day meetings in New Delhi with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah and BJP national president JP Nadda. He had also met President Ram Nath Kovind before returning here on Friday evening.
Back in the state capital, he met more than 12 legislators, two MPs, a few ministers and BJP office bearers from some districts. He viewed a presentation about the progress of implementation of a vision document for development of Ayodhya and also asked senior officers to take necessary action to step up the economic activity.
What came up for discussions at the meetings with legislators and MPs was not immediately known. An official spokesman said the chief minister keeps on meeting public representatives almost regularly and he carried on with his official business as usual.
“The chief minister wants economic activity stepped up in the state. He has given directives to ensure that vacant posts in different departments are filled and people get jobs. He wants more loan melas to be organised and expeditious implementation of development projects,” said a senior official functionary.
{{/usCountry}}“The chief minister wants economic activity stepped up in the state. He has given directives to ensure that vacant posts in different departments are filled and people get jobs. He wants more loan melas to be organised and expeditious implementation of development projects,” said a senior official functionary.
{{/usCountry}}“The Uttar Pradesh government has given about four lakh government jobs in the past four years and the chief minister wants this number to be taken to five lakh jobs by December 2021,” said the functionary.
About the cabinet reshuffle, the functionary said more discussions may be required with the party leaders before any final call was taken on the issue.
The names of former bureaucrat and BJP MLC Arvind Kumar Sharma, former Union minister Jitin Prasada and leaders of BJP’s allies are already doing rounds in the corridors of power here. The BJP’s allies, including Apna Dal (Sone Lal) and Nishad Party, have been pressing for their representation in the state and central ministries. Apna Dal (Sone Lal) MP Anupriya Patel and Nishad Party chief Sanjay Nishad had met union minister Amit Shah in New Delhi and raised the issue there.
A senior BJP office bearer said the party and government would do all that may be needed to step up preparations for the 2022 assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. The BJP leadership may have more discussions at various levels on the issue and an appropriate decision would be taken at the appropriate time, said the office bearer.