With four Uttar Pradesh ministers contesting the ongoing Lok Sabha polls and having “good prospects” of winning their seats, the Yogi Adityanath government may have to undertake its first Cabinet reshuffle soon after the elections are over.
The four Cabinet ministers in the poll fray are Rita Bahuguna Joshi from Allahabad, SP Singh Baghel from Agra, Satyadev Pachauri from Kanpur and Mukut Bihari Verma from Ambedkarnagar Lok Sabha constituencies.
“The names of ministers were zeroed in on for fielding in the Lok Sabha elections after seeing their track record, utility and effectiveness in respective areas, dedication towards the party, communication with party workers and their overall performance, BJP state spokesperson Hero Bajpai said.
“They all stand bright chances of winning their respective seats,” he added.
On the possibility of Cabinet reshuffle after the polls, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had recently said, “First let the elections get over.” The election process will be completed by May 27 after counting of votes on May 23.
Among the four state ministers fielded by the BJP so far in the ongoing polls, the name of Cooperative Minister Mukut Bihari figured in the party’s latest list of candidates. Bihari has been fielded from Ambedkarnagar Lok Sabha constituency which goes to polls on May 12 in the sixth phase.
The BJP had earlier named Minister for Animal Husbandry, Minor Irrigation and Fisheries SP Singh Baghel in its first list as its candidate for the Agra. reserved Lok Sabha seat. Polling in Agra was held in the second phase of elections on April 18.
Two others, Minister for Women, Family, Mother and Child Welfare Rita Bahuguna Joshi and Minister for Khadi and Village Industries, Sericulture, Textiles, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Export Promotion, Satyadev Pachauri, have been fielded from Allahabad and Kanpur Lok Sabha seats respectively.
Joshi, who is presently also the Tourism Minister in the UP Cabinet, had contested the 2014 general election from Lucknow parliamentary constituency on Congress ticket and lost to Bharatiya Janata Party’s Rajnath Singh.
Polling in Kanpur will be held on April 29, while Allahabad will go to polls on May 12.