Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, fresh after winning the recently concluded Assembly elections in the State, held a series of meetings in New Delhi on Sunday, including with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on government formation. A big issue that Mr. Adityanath needs to grapple with, along with leaders in Delhi, is the future of Keshav Prasad Maurya, who was Deputy Chief Minister but lost his election from Sirathu. Mr. Maurya still remains an MLC, and is popular within the party and represents a significant non-Yadav OBC community, a key factor in the BJP’s victory.
Promises made to farmers in the BJP’s manifesto — that of free power and payment to sugarcane growers by mills within 14 days of supply are being prioritised for implementation, and modalities worked out, informed sources said.
“Today I met with Yogi Adityanath and greeted him on the historic victory in Uttar Pradesh. He has worked hard in fulfilling the aspirations of the people of the State in the last five years and I am confident that he will take the state to newer heights in future,” tweeted Mr. Modi.
Mr. Adityanath also met with Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu, BJP president J.P. Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah with whom he went through the nitty-gritty of forming the next government.
“With the defeat of Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, there are chances that BJP chief Swatantra Dev Singh might be made Deputy Chief Minister; Brijesh Pathak may replace Dinesh Sharma as the Brahmin face in the Deputy Chief Minister slot, and former Uttarakhand Governor Baby Rani Maurya, who won from Agra (rural), a reserved seat, may also be given an important position,” said a source. The defeat of Suresh Rana from Thana Bhawan has meant that the slot of a Thakur leader from western Uttar Pradesh is also vacant and Noida MLA Pankaj Singh, son of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, may find a slot.
Mr. Adityanath is slated to call on President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday. The oath taking ceremony for the new government could be pushed to March 19 as the inauspicious Holashtak period is on till March 18.
