Yogi Government eyes pulling up socks as 2024 nears

Lucknow: With less than a year left for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is planning a cabinet reshuffle. The reshuffle will be based on the work done by ministers in their departments in the last one year and the performance of party candidates in the ministers’ constituencies in the recent municipal elections.

Some ministers may be promoted, while some senior people may be transferred for organizational work, said a senior party functionary. The party and the chief minister will decide which minister is more suitable for the government or the party.

BJP sources said that by changing the responsibilities of the ministers and state leaders, the party wants to keep the ministers and leaders of the organization constantly alert. Sources said that the party and the state government are getting information about some ministers and organizational leaders not working promptly in some districts.

The functionary said, the party is analyzing the performance of ministers and MLAs in their respective constituencies in the recent municipal elections. The complete data will be shared with the Chief Minister and other senior leaders, after which a decision will be taken regarding the cabinet reshuffle.

The Yogi Adityanath government’s decision to reshuffle its cabinet marks the beginning of the much-awaited change in the government and party structure ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

Party sources said some high-profile ministers who failed to perform could be shifted to organizational positions in the party and new ones would be inducted into the government.

Given his own excellent performance, the chief minister may be given more freedom to choose which ministers are to be dropped and who should be promoted.

This will be the first cabinet reshuffle of the Yogi government after returning to power in the 2022 assembly elections.

Sources said ministers who have failed to counter the opposition’s campaign against the BJP on various issues will be on the firing line.

Sources said the state government was planning to reshuffle the responsibilities of the ministers after the BJP lost the Khatauli assembly seat and failed to breach the SP stronghold of Mainpuri in the bypolls held last year. Despite winning two constituencies from the Samajwadi Party in the bypolls, the BJP continues to consider Azamgarh and Rampur as challenging political constituencies.