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Yogi Adityanath likely to take oath on March 25; Sonia, Akhilesh may be invited
The BJP top brass, led by PM Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Dharmendra Pradhan, Anurag Thakur, chief ministers and deputy chief ministers of nearly all BJP-ruled states will also be present on the occasion, party leaders confirmed.
The new government in Uttar Pradesh, led by Yogi Adityanath of the Bharatiya Janata Party, will take the oath of office at 4pm on March 25 at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee stadium in the state capital. The ceremony will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah.
Invitations are also being sent to opposition leaders like Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Samajwadi Party leaders Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati and party general secretary Satish Chandra Mishra, among others, people familiar with the matter said.
The BJP top brass, led by Modi, Shah, defence minister Rajnath Singh, education minister and party’s UP election panel in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan, co-in-charge and Union minister Anurag Thakur, chief ministers and deputy chief ministers of nearly all BJP-ruled states will also be present on the occasion, party leaders confirmed.
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The BJP’s allies — Apna Dal (Sonelal) and Nishad party — which collectively won 18 seats, will also be present. Leaders of both these parties have met BJP leadership in Delhi and are hopeful of improved representation in the state government. In 2017, Apna Dal (Sonelal) had one representative in the Adityanath government.
The BJP retained power in Uttar Pradesh by winning 255 out of 403 seats in the assembly, and securing 41.29% of the popular vote. Adityanath will be the first chief minister in the state in the past 37 years to return to power after completing a full term.
“The list of ministers of the BJP 2.0 government will be known after Adityanath returns from Gorakhpur, where he participated in Holi festivities,” a BJP leader said, requesting anonymity.
Adityanath’s new government, while reflecting the party’s continued focus on other backward classes (OBCs) and Dalits, will also feature women, the leader added.
There is no clarity yet on the party’s plan on deputy chief ministers or their number in Uttar Pradesh this time.
“Adityanath knows the party plan and it will be unveiled over the next week,” another party leader said when asked if the new government will reflect the BJP’s plan for the 2024 general elections.
The preparations for the swearing-in ceremony are being done under chief secretary Durga Shankar Mishra, said additional chief secretary (information), Navneet Sehgal, who on Saturday visited the stadium.
“Seating arrangements for 75,000 people are being made at the swearing-in ceremony,” he said. “The programme will be a grand and splendid one, and preparations are already underway.”
Common people, mainly beneficiaries of welfare schemes, are likely to be present.
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The BJP’s beneficiary outreach initiative had figured in nearly all campaign pitches by party’s top brass, including Modi. The invitation to beneficiaries for the swearing-in is being seen as the party’s signal of the government continuing with its outreach initiatives.
Already, there are indications that the new BJP government might continue with the free ration scheme for 150 million poor people. The scheme, which started during the Covid-19 surge, was to end this month. Of the 150 million beneficiaries, 90 million are OBCs, 30 million Dalits and an equal number from other castes.
Mishra is also holding meetings to decide the roll out of various pre-poll promises BJP made during electioneering, the people cited above said.
Shah, the BJP’s central observer for overseeing the process of government formation, is expected to arrive in Lucknow on Sunday or Monday for the next week’s legislative party meeting, where Adityanath is expected to be formally elected as leader. Governor Anandiben Patel will then invite the chief minister designate to form the government.
Meanwhile, there was a buzz in political circles after Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party chief Om Prakash Rajbhar, who contested the polls in alliance with Samajwadi Party, met top BJP leaders and is likely to be present at the swearing-in ceremony.
“We are focused on the UP MLC polls and would also contest the 2024 Lok Sabha polls in alliance with Samajwadi Party,” said Rajbhar, a former BJP ally. Uttar Pradesh is one of the six states in India that has a legislative council.
