Adityanath meets Governor Anandiben Patel; UP cabinet expansion likely on Sunday

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday met Governor Anandiben Patel at Jan Bhavan in Lucknow, with sources saying that a cabinet expansion will likely take place on Sunday. Sources confirmed to PTI that expansion of the Yogi Adityanath government is scheduled for Sunday with swearing in of new ministers due in Jan Bhavan at 3 pm. Earlier, a senior BJP leader indicated that the exercise was likely to take place on Sunday. ''It is likely tomorrow (Sunday),'' the party leader told PTI without elaborating. While sources say that much-awaited cabinet expansion could take place on Sunday, there has been no official confirmation from the government so far. According to an official statement, Adityanath called on the governor at Jan Bhavan and presented her a copy of the book ''Bhartiya Gyan Parampara Avadharna'' written by Lalchand Ram. The meeting assumes significance amid long-standing speculation over a cabinet expansion in the state. Political circles are abuzz with the possibility of an expansion taking place on Sunday or Monday, though no official confirmation has been made so far. The speculation has gained momentum following the Bharatiya Janata Party's strong performance in the recently concluded assembly elections in five states, including West Bengal and Assam. In the 403-member Uttar Pradesh Assembly, the maximum strength of the council of ministers can be 60. At present, six berths are vacant. Political observers believe that any expansion of the ministry ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections could factor in caste and regional equations. A senior Uttar Pradesh minister, commenting on the heightened buzz around the proposed expansion of the government ahead of the 2027 Assembly polls, said, I think it is much anticipated anyway. Sources said several names, including leaders from opposition camps who have moved closer to the BJP as well as some experienced party hands, are being considered for induction. The exercise is being seen on the lines of the recent cabinet expansion in neighbouring Uttrakhand, where five ministers were inducted in March, taking the strength of the ministry to its full quota of 12. Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party president and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav took a swipe at the BJP-led government over the speculation surrounding the cabinet expansion. In a post on X, Yadav said, ''Has the slip arrived from Delhi? I hear that a cabinet expansion is underway in UP or, to put it another way... the chief minister's authority is undergoing a process of 'pruning and trimming.' The SP chief also demanded reservation for women in the proposed expansion and said, ''Surely, someone ought to at least consult the very person whose cabinet this is. We demand that women be accorded reservation in this expansion of the UP cabinet.'' In an apparent dig at the two deputy chief ministers without naming them, Yadav said, '''Agal-bagal' ki jodi ka kuchh hala-bhala hoga ya phir woh 'agle-bagle' hi jhaankte rah jayenge ya sirf reel banate. (Will the duo achieve anything worthwhile, or will they just keep looking here and there aimlessly... just busy making reels).'' His remarks come days after a social media reel featuring Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak during Buddha Purnima celebrations in Kushinagar had triggered a political sparring between the BJP leaders and the SP chief online.

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