Samajawadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday launched a sharp attack on the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh over speculation surrounding an impending cabinet expansion, alleging that the exercise was more about curtailing the powers of the Chief Minister than strengthening governance.
In a message posted on his WhatsApp channel, the SP President took a dig at the ruling establishment, asking, “Has the slip from Delhi arrived yet?” — an apparent reference to the BJP’s Central leadership and its role in decisions concerning the state government.
“Heard that a cabinet expansion is happening in Uttar Pradesh — or rather, one could say that the Chief Minister’s powers are being trimmed and curtailed. Someone should at least ask the person whose cabinet it is,” Yadav said, in remarks seen as targeting both the state leadership and the BJP high command.
The SP chief also sought to pitch the issue as one of representation, demanding reservation for women in any proposed reshuffle or expansion of the Uttar Pradesh Council of Ministers.
“Our demand is that women should be given reservation in the UP cabinet expansion,” he said.
In a further jibe laden with political innuendo, Yadav referred to an “Agal-Bagal” duo, saying, “Another question is also bubbling up: will the ‘Agal-Bagal’ duo gain anything from this, or will they just keep peeking around at others and continue making reels…”
Though he did not name anyone directly, the remark is being interpreted in political circles as a veiled attack on BJP leaders and the growing culture of social media-centric politics within sections of the ruling party.
Speculation over a possible cabinet expansion in Uttar Pradesh has intensified in recent weeks amid discussions within the BJP over caste balance, regional representation and organisational adjustments ahead of future electoral contests. The ruling party, however, has not made any official announcement on the matter so far.
The Samajwadi Party has repeatedly accused the BJP of excessive centralisation of power and of reducing state leaderships to mere implementers of decisions taken in New Delhi. Yadav’s latest comments add to the increasingly combative political atmosphere in Uttar Pradesh as parties position themselves for upcoming electoral battles.