Now, stage set for reshuffle in state cabinet, BJP organisation

SP CANDIDATES ELECTED TO THE UPPER HOUSE INCLUDE SENIOR SP LEADER AHMAD HASAN AND PARTY SPOKESPERSON RAJENDRA CHAUDHARY.

LUCKNOW : All the ten Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and the two Samajwadi Party (SP) candidates were elected unopposed to the legislative council on Thursday.

The BJP candidates who were declared elected include deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma, BJP state unit president Swatantra Dev Singh, retired Gujarat cadre IAS officer AK Sharma, Lakshman Prasad Acharya, Kunwar Manvendra Singh, Govind Narayan Shukla, Salil Bishnoi, Ashwani Tyagi, Dharamveer Prajapati and Surendra Chaudhary.

The SP candidates elected to the upper house include senior SP leader Ahmad Hasan and party spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary. Decks for the unopposed election of the 12 candidates were cleared with the rejection of nomination papers of independent candidate Mahesh Chandra Sharma during scrutiny on Tuesday. After Thursday’s election the strength of BJP has increased from 25 to 32 (3 re-elected) in the 100 member legislative council while the strength of SP reduced from 55 to 51 (six retiring -- two re-elected) and BSP from eight to six. There is no change in the strength of Congress that has two members. The SP still enjoys majority in the council.

The election has also set the stage for reshuffle in the state cabinet as well as changes in the BJP party organisation before the crucial 2022 assembly elections.

There is speculation that AK Sharma might be inducted into the state cabinet while some of the ministers might be sent to the organisation to use their organizational skill in the assembly elections.

Immediately after election AK Sharma thanked the BJP, its central and state leadership, party workers.

In a tweet, he said life is for nation, BJP my dignity, lotus is identity. He also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The election of the 10 BJP candidates coincided with the visit of BJP president JP Nadda visit to Lucknow on Thursday. A BJP leader said, along with discussing the strategy for the panchayat polls and gearing up the party for the assembly elections, Nadda will also discuss co-ordination between the organisation and government.

“The BJP government will complete four years in power in March. The ministers whose performance is not satisfactory will be shifted. In keeping with the caste equation and performance, some leaders might be rewarded with induction into the cabinet,” the BJP leader said.