Following the BJP Parliamentary Board meeting in Delhi, discussions surrounding the cabinet expansion in Uttar Pradesh have intensified. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's meeting with Governor Anandiben Patel on Friday has further fuelled speculations that the expansion might occur within the next one or two days.
The talks of cabinet expansion gained momentum after the allocation of seats among allies was finalised during the BJP Parliamentary Board meeting. The BJP has agreed to allocate six seats to its allies, including Om Prakash Rajbhar's Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (one seat), Apna Dal (two seats), Nishad Party (one seat), and RLD (two seats) in Uttar Pradesh.
Among potential ministerial candidates are Omprakash Rajbhar and Dara Singh Chauhan. Additionally, discussions are underway regarding the inclusion of ministers from RLD in the NDA fold.
Party sources reveal that ahead of the notification of Lok Sabha elections, the announcement of over a hundred candidates is expected to be made on Friday or Saturday. Moreover, candidates for approximately 250 seats are slated to be declared by March 10.
Rajbhar’s threat
However, the delay in cabinet expansion has irked National President of the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), Om Prakash Rajbhar, who had declared that he would not celebrate Holi if his demand for a ministerial berth is not met.
Despite his alliance with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) for several months, Rajbhar's aspiration to secure a ministerial position in the Uttar Pradesh government remains unfulfilled.
Expressing his frustration, Rajbhar has publicly aired his grievances on multiple occasions, with his latest ultimatum of boycotting Holi serving as a potent expression of discontent.
In his characteristically candid manner, Rajbhar reiterated his commitment to honesty and transparency, declaring, "I speak honestly, whether bullets or shrapnel."
