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Resignations precede Yogi Adityanath’s cabinet expansion today
BJP sources said about two dozen new ministers were likely to be sworn in on Wednesday.
The much-awaited expansion of the 29-month-old Yogi Adityanath ministry will finally take place on Wednesday at 11 am.
The confirmation of the expansion date was preceded by resignations of some ministers and, according to sources, a major shakeup of the ministry appeared imminent after RSS leaders met top leaders in the government and the BJP organisation.
BJP sources said about two dozen new ministers were likely to be sworn in on Wednesday.
Earlier on Tuesday, nearly half-a-dozen ministers were said to have tendered their resignation, though confirmation was available for only two -- finance minister Rajesh Agarwal, 74 and basic education minister Anupama Jaiswal, 52.
Agarwal said he resigned because next month he would be 75 years old — the unwritten party norm for leaders to quit government and other elected positions.
Agarwal’s supporters, however, cited the case of Karnataka chief minister BS Yeddyurappa, saying that despite having crossed 75 years of age, he was still the CM, thus indicating that there was no uniform party line on the age-bar issue.
Agarwal, who was consecutively elected since 1993 from Bareilly, admitted as much, saying he was nearing 75 years and hence thought of paving way for new faces.
Mining minister Archana Pandey, sports minister Chetan Chauhan and cooperative minister Mukut Bihari Verma were said to be among those who resigned. Attempts made to reach out to these ministers didn’t succeed.
However, BJP leaders said some of them like Chetan Chauhan appeared surprised that their name was said to be among the ministers who had either offered their resignation or asked to resign.
“Nearly six ministers are under scrutiny while roles and responsibilities of many others, including at least one deputy chief minister, could be redefined,” a BJP leader said.
Before Tuesday’s resignations, the Yogi government was 18 short of 60 ministers that the chief minister can have in his ministry.
As BJP leaders, along with top government leaders, including chief minister Yogi Adityanath and deputy chief ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma, remained closeted with RSS leaders in the presence of party chief Swatantra Dev Singh and general secretary (organisation) Sunil Bansal on the expansion eve, details largely arrived through leaks.
Tuesday’s resignations mean that nearly two dozen new faces could be made ministers in Yogi’s ministry, giving it an all-new look.
Several party leaders, including a Dalit, were widely tipped to find a place in the ministry while many in the government, would be asked to take up organisational roles, an old party hand said on condition of anonymity.
“Expansion of the council of ministers is the prerogative of the chief minister,” was all that deputy chief minister Maurya was willing to say on the spate of resignations.
Transport minister Swatantra Dev Singh, who is also UP BJP chief, has already resigned in keeping the ‘one-man, one-post’ principle.
According to sources in the party and government, clearance for the expansion-cum-reshuffle was finally reached at the meeting between key government and organisational hands with RSS leaders.
There was no clarity on the reasons for the resignations though various theories, ranging from corruption charges, non-performance and age, were being discussed as possible reasons. There were no confirmations to these theories.
A senior BJP leader, familiar with the developments, however, said the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) had reportedly conveyed to Yogi its displeasure over the functioning of some ministers.
Two ministers of state with independent charge were widely tipped to be promoted while some MLCs and leaders currently serving the organisation could be given ministerial berths.
Several young BJP lawmakers, and at least one from party allies in UP, are also expected to be made ministers. A party leader said more than half-a-dozen ‘new and young’ faces could find a place in the ministry.
