Highlights
- Yogi Adityanath will take oath as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh after Holi
- The oath-taking ceremony is likely to take place at Ekana Stadium in Lucknow
- BJP has plans to invite the beneficiaries of several schemes of Yogi and Modi governments
With the stage set for Yogi Adityanath to take the charge of the new government in Uttar Pradesh after Holi, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is planning a grand swearing-in ceremony in Lucknow. The party is preparing a list of invitees for the event which will likely take place at Ekana Stadium.
Although there has been no official word from the BJP about the venue and the invitees, preparations to set up a stage, sitting arrangements and others are underway at Ekana Stadium.
Sources said that the party is planning to invite the beneficiaries of several schemes of the BJP governments in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. As man as 45,000 people are likely to attend the swearing-in of the Adityanath government. Arrangements are also being made for around 200 VVIPs at the stadium. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP's national president JP Nadda, Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah and others, CMs of BJP-ruled states and some prominent leaders including from the opposition will be invited.
Earlier on Wednesday, Adityanath participated in a crucial meeting of the party in Delhi to discuss the government formation. The meeting was attended by Nadda, party's UP unit chief Swatantra Dev Singh, state general secretary (organisation) Sunil Bansal, outgoing Deputy CMs Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma, UP in charge Radha Mohan Singh and others.
Sources said that the leaders discussed the probable ministers and also the candidates for the upcoming MLC election for 36 seats.
Sources told India TV that Uttar Pradesh could get three Deputy Chief Ministers this time. Also, the party wants to give opportunity to new faces and is in no mood to nominate the leaders to the Legislative Council who lost the elections recently, barring a few like Keshav Prasad Maura who was defeated by Samajwadi Party's Pallavi Patel from Sirathu.
If sources are to be believed, the party could also put an age limit for ministership. Sources said MLAs above 65 years are unlikely to be included in the Cabinet.
The BJP retained power for the second consecutive term in Uttar Pradesh, winning 255 seats in the 403-member Legislative Assembly.