New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath is likely to reshuffle his cabinet after the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) massive victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. 

The Yogi government is deliberating awarding cabinet minister ranks to leaders who have performed exceptionally well during the electoral fight. Some other party leaders could also get ministerial status in the corporation and state government organisations.

It is anticipated that the cabinet reshuffle may happen any time soon after the model code of conduct ended when the BJP formed the government at the centre on May 23.

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Four cabinet minister seats are vacant after the three current ministers of the Yogi government got elected into the parliament.

One post is empty due to the resignation of OP Rajbhar, chief of the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj party, the alliance partner in Uttar Pradesh. Rajbhar quit the Yogi government during the general elections last month.

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Party leaders who have been waiting for ministerial posts for some time now finally have a reason to cheer as the cabinet reshuffle is all set to induct leaders who have performed well. Since the inception of the Yogi government in Uttar Pradesh, no cabinet expansion has been undertaken.

The scenario in the state has now changed after BJP’s landslide victory in the 2019 general election. Yogi Adityanath is under pressure from state units and their leaders to include performing members in the cabinet.

Leaders are also travelling to the BJP headquarters in Delhi, hoping to make it to the cabinet berth. According to party sources, the Uttar Pradesh chief minister has proved himself after facing a triangular fight from both the Congress and the BSP-SP Mahagathbandhan. 

The focus has now shifted to the 2022 assembly election. The state government has been given a green flag by the BJP to increase ministerial strength to ensure a second win in the state. According to the norms of the agreement, the government can have a total of 60 ministers in the cabinet which currently has only 45.

A source from the BJP has confirmed that two state ministers, Swatantra Dev Singh and Mahendra Singh, could be elevated to cabinet ministerial posts.

Other senior ministers are also in the queue and have waited for more than two years. Despite their seniority in the ministry, they have not been allocated posts.