Uttar Pradesh portfolio distribution: Yogi's way or the highway

The distribution of portfolios and some other steps taken by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath during the last two days have given enough indication that the second term of the BJP government is going to be Yogi's way or the highway.

The chief minister's distribution of portfolios has a clear picture of his priorities, without succumbing to political compulsions.

"The portfolio distribution also has a message that Yogi Adityanath will run the government in his own way and will not work under any pressure," said a senior BJP functionary.

Deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, for instance, has been deprived of his favourite PWD portfolio and given rural development and food processing along with national integration.

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Maurya's loss has been Jitin Prasada's gain. Jitin has kept a low profile ever since he joined the BJP least year and it is this that has won him Yogi's approval.

Another deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak, who was reportedly eyeing PWD, has been given medical education, health and family welfare. These departments are known as 'hot spots' in state politics and leave the minister in-charge vulnerable to public anger.

State BJP president Swatantra Dev Singh has been given charge of the all-important Jal Shakti ministry and has been rewarded for being a noncontroversial leader who struck up a good rapport with the chief minister in the previous regime.

Former PMO official, Arvind Sharma, who was hoping for a home or finance portfolio, has been given urban development which does not match with his 'status'.

Aseem Arun, the IPS officer turned politician, was reportedly eyeing home portfolio and jails but has been made to remain content with social and SC/ST welfare.

Baby Rani Maurya, another high-profile candidate, who was asked to give up her gubernatorial assignment in Uttarakhand and join active politics in Uttar Pradesh, has been given women and child welfare. This is certainly not the assignment she would have expected in return.

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Rajeshwar Singh, a former ED official who was touted as the Centre's blue-eyed boy, has been left out of the council of ministers.

Singh had given interviews during the campaigning where he had spoken at length about the contribution he would make in policing and law.

Sanjay Nishad of Nishad Party, who has bargained his way into the ministry, has been left in a corner with the fisheries ministry.

"The fisheries ministry deals with fishermen- a community wherein Sanjay Nishad has risen in power -- and now he can do whatever welfare he can for his community," said a BJP leader.

Those in the government say that there is not much that Sanjay Nishad can do, given the bureaucratic constraints in his portfolio.

Another decision that makes it clear that Yogi Adityanath alone will call the shots in his second regime is the one related to ministers selecting their staff.

Under the new system approved by the chief minister, the selection of the staff has been digitised and ministers will have to choose from a list of candidates randomly sorted through a computer lottery undertaken by the secretariat administration department.

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Also, no support staff which has worked with any minister in the past five years has been retained in the new list.

In a major step to increase the participation of women in governance and general administrative work, 20 per cent would be deputed as private secretaries (PS), assistant PS, review officers (RO), and assistant RO with the newly appointed ministers.

This decision has already made several ministers uncomfortable since they are not used to working with women staff because of 'practical reasons' like 'late night working and travelling'.

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