UP: BJP reviews civic poll results, may reshuffle cabinet to reward performers

According to a senior BJP leader, CM Yogi Adityanath enjoys a higher stature in the party now and would like to induct new faces of his choice.

A reshuffle in the Uttar Pradesh government is likely as the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP is looking to reward and punish ministers according to the party’s performance in their constituencies in the civic polls, which it is reviewing, according to sources.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, his deputies Dinesh Sharma and Keshav Prasad Maurya and BJP state president Mahendra Nath Pandey celebrate the victory of the party in the state civic body elections at the party office in Lucknow on Friday. (PTI)

Uttar Pradesh BJP general secretary Vijay Pathak confirmed the review, but did not elaborate.

A senior party leader, however, said that after the Gujarat polls, the party will begin gearing up for the 2019 Lok Sabha election. “This may mean revamping the organisation and a ministerial reshuffle as well.”

As there are 14 vacancies in the 46-member Adityanath ministry, the CM may like to induct some new faces in his ministry.

“Adityanath enjoys a higher stature in the party now. He may reward those who have performed well and may drop those who have not been able to contribute much to the party or government,” the leader said.

The BJP won 14 of 16 mayoral seats and 596 of 1,300 corporators’ posts in 16 towns having municipal corporations. In other civic bodies, it has won 170 out of 636 presidents’ posts and 1,586 of 10,694 posts of members of Nagar Palika Parishad and Nagar Panchayats.

As the BJP’s performance in other civic bodies is far below its expectations vis-à-vis the victory in municipal corporations, the party is attaching significance to the ongoing review.

Nevertheless, the victory in the three temple towns of Ayodhya, Mathura and Varanasi has given the party added strength to pursue its saffron agenda.

Still, the loss in important areas is being taken seriously.

Muzaffarnagar was being considered a laboratory for Hindutva forces and the BJP had used the 2013 riots to its advantage in every election, but the party’s loss to the Congress in the election for the post of Muzaffarnagar Nagar Palika Parishad president has raised many eyebrows in political circles.