Yogi Adityanath Stays, But New Ministers Likely As BJP Preps For UP Polls

Former bureaucrat AK Sharma, known to be Prime Minister Narendra Modi's confidante, may be given an important role in the UP government, the sources say.

There will be no change in the government or party leadership in Uttar Pradesh, central BJP sources said today on speculation that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's job may be in trouble over his government's Covid handling. However, there may be new faces in the cabinet, say the sources as the BJP strives to address public anger ahead of the UP polls next year. Former bureaucrat AK Sharma, known to be Prime Minister Narendra Modi's confidante, may be given an important role in the UP government, the sources say. Yogi Adityanath will continue as Chief Minister and Swatantra Dev Singh as BJP's UP president and the party will contest next year's election under their leadership, the sources asserted, rubbishing talk that was reinforced by a two-day review meeting held by national BJP leaders in UP capital Lucknow. But a cabinet expansion is likely this month and new faces are expected to be taken in with caste and regional equations in mind, sources say.