With the aim to placate leaders and workers of the ruling party and its allies, the Yogi Adityanath government announced the names of office-bearers and chairpersons of various state-run corporations, councils and boards, hours before the Election Commission announced the dates for Lok Sabha election and the model mode of conduct came into effect.
The government spokesman said that 72 persons had been named either as members or chairmen of the state-run commissions.
In the cleverly drafted list, members of the ruling party allies, particularly of Suheldeo Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) and Apna Dal (Sonelal), have been accommodated. Both the allies had been threatening to sever ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party if they did not get respect and recognition.
Earlier, Backward Class Welfare Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar had questioned the constitution of Backward Class Commission as his recommendations were not accepted. In protest, he had handed over the charge of that department to the Chief Minister but later he was placated in a meeting with Yogi.
Arvind Rajbhar has been made the chairman of UP Small Industries Corporation Limited. He is the son of Cabinet minister Om Prakash Rajbhar.
Rana Ajit Pratap Singh, another office-bearer of the SBSP, has been made the chairman of UP Beej Vikas Nigam (UP Seeds Development Corporation), an important state-run corporation.
Rajeshwar Singh of Kushinagar has been appointed vice-chairman of the Seed Development Corporation.
The government has also accommodated former lawmaker and senior BJP leader like Shyam Nandan Singh (Firozabad) who has been made the chairperson of UP Gau Seva Aayog.
Another former MLA, Nawab Singh Nagar (Gautam Buddha Nagar) has been made the chairman of Lal Bahadur Shastri Cane Development Corporation. while Neeraj Shahi (Deoria) has been appointed as his deputy.
Comedian Raju Srivastava, who joined the BJP last year, has been appointed as chairman of Film Development Council, Uttar Pradesh. During Samajwadi Party regime, Jaya Bachchan was chairperson of the UP Film Development Council .
Another senior BJP leader and vice-president of the party, Jayendra Pratap Singh Rathore, has been made part-time chairman of UP Pollution Control Board. Rathore took over the charge on Sunday.
Surendra Nath Valmiki has been made the chairman of Rajya Safai Karmachari Aayog while Munna Singh Dhanuk (Lucknow) and Lal Babu Valmiki (Agra) have been appointed as vice-chairmen.
Narendra Singh from Azamgarh has been appointed as chairman of Purvanchal Vikas Board while Ramakant Nishad (Gorakhpur) has been appointed as chairman of Uttar Pradesh Fisheries Development Corporation.
Captain Vikas Gupta has been appointed as chairman of Uttar Pradesh Council of Agricultural Research (UPCAR).
The government has also appointed Jagdish Mishra alias Balti Baba as chairman of UP State Agro Industrial Corporation.
Dr BN Singh from Lucknow has been appointed as chairman UP Homeopathy Medicine Board.
