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The meeting in Delhi between Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and BJP Chief JP Nadda on Wednesday has triggered speculations about a potential expansion of the Uttar Pradesh cabinet, according to insiders.
The BJP has convened a gathering of OBC (Other Backward Classes) leaders from across the country in Delhi on Thursday to address the demand for a caste-based census, which has garnered widespread support, not only from the opposition but also from some within the BJP.
Prominent BJP leaders from Uttar Pradesh, including Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, who represents the OBC community, are expected to be present in Delhi on Thursday.
OBC leaders like Om Prakash Rajbhar, who leads the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party, have sought an audience with the party leadership for a meeting. Rajbhar stated, “I have requested time from them, and when it is granted, I will attend.”
In addition to discussing preparations for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the leaders will strategize on strengthening the party’s influence among the Other Backward Class (OBC) segment to counter the efforts of the Samajwadi Party and Congress to gain ground in the OBC vote bank.
Discussions will also encompass the cabinet expansion, with sources indicating that Om Prakash Rajbhar and SP rebel Dara Singh Chauhan, who holds sway over the backward community in eastern UP, are likely to be inducted into the ministry. New faces, particularly from the OBC community, will be accommodated in the cabinet to send a message to this segment of society.
Rajbhar hinted at his ministerial prospects, saying, “I will have something to share on November 7.”
A senior party leader mentioned, “The final decision lies with Delhi, but there is a strong sense that given the significance of the OBC groups these leaders represent, the party will certainly accord them due respect.”
There’s speculation that the cabinet expansion might even occur before Diwali, though no official confirmation has been provided.
OBCs have played a crucial role in the BJP’s victories in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections, as well as in the 2017 and 2022 assembly elections.
Given the OBC meeting in Delhi, the BJP’s state unit has postponed a Scheduled Caste rally scheduled to be held in Lucknow on Thursday. The party has organized six SC meets in UP as part of its outreach campaign to connect with Dalits, with a renewed emphasis on OBCs, who have been instrumental in the party’s electoral successes.
A BJP leader clarified, “Thursday’s meeting is not about discussing cabinet expansion. It is to discuss the issue of caste-based reservation.” Furthermore, the leader highlighted that many within the BJP see no harm in pursuing this issue, as the Congress has also been advocating for a caste-based census.
