The Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government is likely to expand the state cabinet this evening at the Raj Bhavan, before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, perhaps the biggest before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, news agency ANI reported.
According to reports, six to seven new faces are likely to be included in the cabinet. The name of Jitin Prasad, a Brahmin leader who came from Congress to BJP, is being considered.
Sanjay Nishad, whose Nishad (Nirbal Indian Shoshit Hamara Aam Dal) party will contest the elections along with the BJP, may also be included.
The swearing-in ceremony has been organized at Gandhi Auditorium at Raj Bhavan at 5.30 pm.
This is the fourth BJP-ruled state to undergo a major reshuffle after Gujarat, Karnataka and Uttarakhand.
The crucial UP assembly elections are seen as a test for the management of the deadly COVID pandemic, especially the second wave, for both the Center and the state.
While BJP leaders claim UP has managed the pandemic effectively, the opposition has slammed the state and central government for letting hundreds of people die under their watch.
The top BJP leadership said that the upcoming state elections would be fought under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Analysts say the only real potential contender to challenge the BJP in this election will be the Samajwadi Party. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav had earlier said that SP, Rashtriya Lok Dal and some smaller parties would fight the elections together and an announcement in this regard would be made soon.
Akhilesh Yadav has already announced that his party will not have any tie-up with big parties like Congress and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), but will prefer smaller regional parties as partners in the crucial election.
Meanwhile, BJP and Nishad Party will fight the upcoming assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh together and work towards forming the next government in the state.
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