00:00We're interrupting that play out for a big news that's just coming in, a political news break that has repercussions
00:05in Uttar Pradesh, one of the most important states politically in the country here and we understand there have been
00:11big surprises that have come in in the UP, BJP Rajasava list, all sitting Rajasava MPs, all 10 of them
00:18have been dropped. I'm being joined by my senior colleague Maria. Maria, how do you see this?
00:22So there are eight MPs of the BJP who have been dropped because there are 10 seats in all which
00:27are going to polls, which has one Samajwadi Party MP, which is Ram Gopal Yadav, and one BSP candidate.
00:35So which means essentially now there are two Samajwadi Party candidates which have been fielded.
00:40One, of course, is Ram Gopal Yadav, we know about, and the second is Dhanraj Natwani of the Reliance Group,
00:46an important Reliance executive.
00:48The Samajwadi Party, remember when it announced, sent a message that it continues to be pro-corporates just as the
00:54way it was during Malayan Singh Yadav's tenure.
00:57Now let's look at these eight names which have been announced for the state of Uttar Pradesh from the BJP.
01:04We were expecting names of perhaps the union ministers to at least feature. That is not happening, Ritanshu.
01:10That means Hardeep Singh Puri and Biyal Varma, these are the two union ministers who have been dropped from that
01:16list, which essentially means that besides them,
01:19there are two other union ministers who have resigned and have taken up different roles, which include Ravneet Bittu from
01:27the state of Punjab.
01:28So he will be, of course, becoming more active in the run-up to the elections.
01:31Punjab along with Uttar Pradesh goes to polls, but I think two union ministers, Hardeep Singh Puri, Biyal Varma, whose
01:39name was there,
01:41they were part of, they were representing Uttar Pradesh and Rajya Sabha last time around.
01:49Now that their names have been dropped, is it now inevitable that they will not be part of the cabinet
01:56anymore?
01:56But let's not forget that as far as the protocol is concerned or the processes of the procedure is concerned,
02:02any member, any union cabinet minister can continue to be in the cabinet across, till the time, you know,
02:11he gets a nomination to either of the houses. But in this particular case, Hardeep Puri and Biyal Varma, both
02:17of them being dropped,
02:18does it mean that the stage is set for the cabinet reshuffle? A lot of anticipation that was there with
02:22regards to the Uttar Pradesh list.
02:25Interestingly, all eight MPs who were representing the state of Uttar Pradesh have been dropped,
02:33including Neeraj Shekhar and prominent member of parliament from the BJP.
02:37Indeed. Maria, do stay on with us. Let me also go across from our colleague, Piyush Mishra, who is also
02:41joining us from the field.
02:42Piyush, if you can hear me, we have already discussed some of the larger macro implications in terms of the
02:48cabinet implications with Maria.
02:49I want you to tell me about what happens in terms of the impact on Uttar Pradesh, which is going
02:54also, along with Punjab,
02:55going to poll sometime early next year, given the fact that all of these eight MPs represent Uttar Pradesh in
03:01the Rajya Sabha.
03:06Well, it's very important to understand that all these new names are going to have a huge impact
03:12because party sources are telling us that it is somewhere an answer by BJP to the politics of PD of
03:19Achillesh Yadava.
03:20Why? Because weightage has now been given to the OBC community.
03:26Three big names come from OBC community.
03:29And if I can highlight their names, Dharmapal Singh, Prakashpal and Shruti Gangwar, they are from OBC community.
03:36And as far as SC community is concerned, we have Priyanka Rawat and Shruti Gangwar.
03:42They are from the women factor can be seen in them.
03:48But as far as SC representation is concerned, Vidya Sakhar, Sonkar and Priyanka Singh Rawat, they are from SC community.
03:54And as far as Radha Kant, Oja and Gopi Krishna Pandey are concerned, they are from Brahmin community.
04:00So a weightage has now been given to OBC community.
04:04So clearly the caste calculus has been kept in mind, Yush, in terms of Uttar Pradesh as well.
04:10We have got the list, Maria, of the ministers.
04:12And I am again coming back to you in terms of the implications in the union cabinet.
04:16Here are the ministers who have recently left the cabinet.
04:19Ravneet Bhattu resigned.
04:20As you said, George Kurien resigned.
04:21Hadith Singh Puri is still serving.
04:23That is likely to be dropped if this reshovel goes on.
04:25Same is the case with BL Varma.
04:26Or maybe he will find a place in the cabinet, continue to be in the cabinet if he gets nominated
04:30from any other state.
04:31Okay. So BL Varma, same caveat applies to him as well.
04:35Harsh Manotra and Pankaj Chaudhary.
04:37Not to mention, to my understanding, Dhamminder Pradhan, when he quit as education minister,
04:41it was assigned to Pralaj Joshi whether that's going to be an arrangement that stays
04:43or will there be a full-time education minister soon.
04:46So there is enough scope for a reshuffle.
04:48It's a question of if and when it happens.
04:50Yes, when the prime minister decides it, it's his prerogative.
04:54This is his cabinet.
04:55And all the ministers continue to be in the cabinet only till the time the prime minister wishes.
05:01But having said that, look, there are elbow rooms.
05:05There are also a number of ministers who are holding multiple portfolios.
05:10So there is this sense that in the run-up to perhaps the big election in 2029,
05:15there could be a reshuffle.
05:17Remember, Ritanshu, there was a lot of buzz ahead of the monsoon session
05:21that there could be a reshuffle, but that did not happen.
05:24Instead, what we saw was that Dhamminder Pradhan had to resign
05:27because of the protests that unfolded.
05:29Now the government is consolidating itself.
05:32But with two more ministers being dropped from the list
05:37is an indication that the government is preparing for a massive reshuffle
05:42as and when it happens now.
05:44All right.
05:44So lots to watch out for in the power corridors of not just Delhi,
05:47but also Lucknow as well.
05:48Manit, thanks for joining us.
05:49Also, thank you, Piyush, for joining us with those good developments.
