Uttar Pradesh cabinet may be expanded

Lucknow,May 29(HS)The success achieved by three Uttar Pradesh cabinet ministers in just concluded Lol Sabha elections has led to several speculations here.

One of them doing the rounds a day before swearing-in of central ministers is that the state cabinet will be re-shuffled  this week or the next month.

Another rumour is that it will be expanded with inclusion of some new faces.Some of those who had helped spoil the alliance game-plan  in a big way may be  rewarded.

Presently,there are only 46 ministers in the state council.The number can go up to 60 in the light of 15 per cent  cap fixed.

The total had gone up to 47 but one minister, Om Prakash Rajbhar, was dismissed last week due to fielding of candidates against the official nominees and allegedly working against the interest of  the BJP and the  government.

Even before the elections,he had often criticised the government publicly, causing embarrassment .It is a different matter that all his candidates have lost.

He was nursing a grudge because of non-allotment of  seats to his party ( Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party which was one of the BJP allies).

The BJP high command was ready to leave one seat for him but with a caveat that he or she will contest  on BJP symbol. Rajbhar did not agree although all the candidates he had put up in the previous Lok Sabha elections had been defeated.

The result of all this was that he was shown the door the next day of end of voting in the state–May 19.

He was heading backward  classes welfare  department which is being looked after by a state minister.

In addition to his,three other vacancies are to be filled.Three cabinet ministers,Satyadeo Pachauri,Rita Bahuguna Joshi and S P Baghel who were asked to contest the Lok Sabha elections have won.

Four cabinet minsiters were fielded this year out of which one,Mukut Bihari Verma,has lost.While Pachauri has been elected from Kanpur,Joshi and S P Baghel have won from Allahabad and Agra,respectively.

One of the guesses is that Yogi Adityanath,the chief miniiter, will not go for expansion and only fill these vacancies.

The expansion may be made after the by-elections which have to be held for seats represented by these ministers.That will give time to him to find suitable persons.