Amit Shah to discuss ministry reshuffle in UP on Saturday

Lucknow, Apr 21: Even as BJP president Amit Shah would lead the party in attacking the Congress on its home turf of Rae Bareli on Saturday, but his stay here for more than three hours has created tension among the Uttar Pradesh ministers over the possibility of ministry reshuffle of the Yogi Adityanath government.

Mr Shah, who reached Lucknow on Saturday morning en route to Rae Bareli was accorded a warm welcome by the party leaders. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who also accompanied Mr Shah along with UP BJP president Mahendra Nath Pandey to Rae Bareli were also at the airport to welcome the BJP president.

BJP is expected to receive a boost in the Sonia Gandhi's constituency when Congress MLC and its leader in the legislative council Dinesh Pratap Singh along with his family members would join the saffron party. Dinesh's younger brother Rakesh Singh is Congress MLA from Harchandpur under Rae Bareli Parliament constituency, while his other brother Awadhesh Singh is the chairman of the District panchayat chairman.

The BJP rally would be held at the GIC ground in Rae Bareli city where almost the entire ministry of the Yogi government and the state leaders would be present.

However, during the day-long visit to UP, Mr Shah would spend around four hours in Lucknow where he will discuss the organsational strategy for the coming 2019 Lok Sabha polls and about the ministry reshuffle of the Yogi Adityanath government.

The BJP president will return to Lucknow from Rae Bareli at 1500 hrs and thereafter will be closeted with the Chief Minister, BJP state president Mahendra Nath Pandey at the party headquarters to discuss the issues.

Mr Shah had already expressed his annoyance on the role of some state ministers during his last visit on April 11 and hinted for a major overhaul of the government.

After spending around four hours in the state capital, Mr Shah will leave for New Delhi at around 1900 hrs.