CM’s meeting with Shah, Nitin Nabin sparks portfolio allocation talks

Lucknow: Chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s visit to Delhi and his meeting with Union home minister Amit Shah and BJP president Nitin Nabin has sparked talks of allocation of portfolios to the newly sworn-in ministers and reshuffling of a few existing ones.Though officials term the meetings as mere courtesy calls, sources said that since the portfolios of a few existing ministers might be reshuffled to adjust new ministers, the final call would be taken by the top brass in Delhi.Chief minister Yogi Adityanath had expanded his Cabinet on May 10 by inducting six new ministers. Two existing ministers of state were elevated to the rank of minister of state (independent charge).Among the six, two including former UP BJP chief Bhupendra Chaudhary and Samajwadi Party turncoat Manoj Pandey, who cross voted during Rajya Sabha elections 2024 in favour of the BJP were sworn in as cabinet ranked while four others including Krishna Paswan, Kailash Rajput, Surendra Diler and Hansraj Vishwakarma were sworn in as junior ministers.Addition of six new ministers in Yogi cabinet takes the tally of total ministers to 60, a maximum allowed in 403-member UP Assembly.Two of the existing ministers, including MoS Somendra Tomar and Ajit Pal Singh, were elevated as MoS (independent charge).Among the major departments that are with the chief minister currently include home, food and civil supplies, PWD and law.It is yet not clear whether the CM would leave any of these portfolios to the incumbent or the existing one and then reshuffle the portfolios.Sources said that these intricacies would be worked out only after the nod of central leadership.“The CM’s meeting with Shah and Nitin Nabin holds much significance. It is likely that the portfolios are allotted within the next couple of days,” a source said.