Uttar Pradesh likely to get lion’s share in Union cabinet expansion

LUCKNOW: As the Central cabinet is all set for an expansion, the Yogi government is likely to follow in the footsteps a few days later. The long overdue Union cabinet reshuffle is likely to take place on July 7 or July 8.
According to highly placed sources, the rejig in Yogi cabinet would be need-based and take care of those who fail to get berths in the expansion at the Centre. The idea is to ensure proper representation of all key castes which would have a strong say during the state elections next year.
Going by the caste arithmetic and initial indications, PM Narendra Modi might induct at least 4-5 new faces from Uttar Pradesh. At present, in the 52-member Union ministry, there are 10 members from the state. At least 20-22 new ministers are likely to be inducted in the rejig.
According to sources, among new ministers to be inducted from UP, there could be a Brahmin face. The party think tank believes that they need to be kept in good humour in the run-up to the Assembly elections. According to sources, prominent faces in the race are 73-year-old Kanpur MP Satyadev Pachauri, 71-year-old MP from Prayagraj Rita Bahuguna Joshi and Basti MP Harish Dwivedi (47).
Similarly, in its Dalit outreach, the Modi government may induct a Dalit MP from the state and Etawah MP Prof Ram Shanker Katheria (56) is said to be the top contender.
He was the Union minister of state for human resource in the first Modi government until 2016. Katheria is also the former chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes.
BJP national secretary and Kaushambi MP Vinod Kumar Sonker (51) and Mohanlalganj MP Kaushal Kishore (61), who is also the state president of BJP’s Scheduled Caste Morcha, are also in the race for ministerial berth.
A member from Pal community may also get representation in the Modi cabinet and the top contender is 61-year-old Agra MP Prof SP Singh Baghel, who is believed to have a strong vote base. He was vying for a ticket for his daughter from Tundla assembly seat during Vidhan Sabha bypolls.
With Covid pandemic hitting the business community hard in the last one year, the central government might induct a Vaishya MP. Being the senior most parliamentarian from the community, 69-year-old Meerut MP Rajendra Agrawal is believed to be the frontrunner.
Interestingly, Pravin Nishad, the BJP MP from Sant Kabir Nagar and son of NISHAD party chief Sanjay Nishad, is also believed to be in the race for a ministerial berth. However, if he fails to find a place in the central cabinet, his father Sanjay Nishad might be inducted in the Yogi Adityanath government.
Ashish Patel, husband of Apna Dal chief Anupriya Patel, is another contender who may get a place in the state cabinet.