Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath met with Governor Anandiben Patel at Raj Bhavan in Lucknow on Friday, fueling speculation regarding a potential Cabinet expansion ahead of parliamentary elections.
Adityanath’s visit is particularly significant as it followed his attendance at an important Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) meeting in New Delhi focused on the upcoming polls.
According to a statement from the Chief Minister’s office, “The Chief Minister on Friday paid a courtesy visit to U.P. Governor Anandiben Patel at Raj Bhavan and gifted the ‘Rom Rom me Ram’ book.”
A spokesperson for the U.P. BJP, Manish Shukla, emphasized the Chief Minister’s authority in deciding Cabinet matters. “It is natural for the Chief Minister to meet the Governor, who is the constitutional head of the State. The expansion of the Cabinet is the prerogative of the CM and it will be done accordingly,” he stated.
Despite the outcome of the Ghosi bypoll over six months ago and nearly nine months since the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) joined the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the Cabinet expansion has yet to occur. SBSP leaders Om Prakash Rajbhar and former MLA Dara Singh Chauhan have repeatedly asserted their expectation of being appointed Ministers in the state government.
Published – March 02, 2024, 04:16 am IST
