The 43-month-old Akhilesh Yadav government is all set for an image makeover with the possible induction of around 15 ministers on Saturday in one of the biggest reshuffles before Uttar Pradesh goes to polls in 2017.
The new-look ministry with Akhilesh stamp will be sworn in by Governor Ram Naik at Raj Bhawan on Saturday morning.
The exercise could see elevation of some Ministers of State and induction of one or two women in the ministry which can have a maximum number of 60 members.
Sources in the ruling party said the focus could be on youth to counter the canard of “his father and uncles” running the show.
The council of ministers so far had a clear Mulayam Singh stamp but Saturday’s expansion will surely have the mark of the Chief Minister in order to prepare the party for the upcoming Assembly polls.
Senior party functionaries, however, remained tight-lipped over the likely names.
They only said that the Chief Minister is expected to reward some loyal leaders who were in the wilderness for a long time by allotting them Cabinet berths.
Facing accusations of inefficiency, Mr. Yadav had on Thursday sacked eight ministers and stripped nine others of their portfolios.
Of the eight ministers dropped in the surprise purge exercise, five are Cabinet ministers and three Ministers of State (MoS).
The ministers whose portfolios have been withdrawn will be allocated fresh portfolios after Saturday’s exercise.
Mr. Yadav, who was on a two-day tour of Odisha since Thursday, also visited Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) and KIIT University on Friday. He went around various facilities of KISS and addressed its students, an university release said.
KISS has provided best platform for all round development of tribal boys and girls, he said in his address to the students.
Mr. Yadav also addressed the 3rd KIIT International Model United Nations (KIIT-MUN) as chief guest.
Being held in partnership with the UNFPA and US Consulate General, Hyderabad, it is one of the largest MUNs in the world. More than 1800 delegates from leading institutions of the country as well as from 20 nations are participating.
Addressing student-delegates from various universities of India and abroad, Mr Yadav said the world will face three major challenges — climate change, food for all and affordable healthcare for all.
It is for the youths and students to think how to overcome them, he said.
