Poorvanchal is BJP’s new hunting ground now

NEW DELHI: Sunday’s ministerial reshuffle reiterated BJP’s continuing political focus on ‘Poorvanchal’ that straddles eastern UP and western Bihar. Under SP and BSP, the spotlight was always on western and central UP.

Induction of Shiv Pratap Shukla in the Union ministry spotlighted the saffron focus on Gorakhpur, which is also the base of UP CM Yogi Adityanath. Gorakhpur and neighbouring Varanasi, the constituency of PM Modi, cornered the glory as the nerve centre of BJP’s eastern shift.

The rejig gave representation to three cities within 300km — Arrah (R K Singh), Buxar (

Ashwini Choubey

) and Gorakhpur (Shiv Pratap Shukla). Ghazipur MP Manoj Sinha holds the communications portfolio as MoS (independent).

With Mahendra Nath Pandey of Chandauli having just been given the reins of UP BJP, there is a new political halo around the region. Poorvanchal accounts for 170-180 assembly seats and 20-22 Lok Sabha seats.

Varanasi, Ghazipur, Arrah and Buxar are connected by the Ganga, the focus of Modi’s

Namami Gange

programme. Modi is said to be unhappy with the project’s progress, a reason why Uma Bharati lost the ministry.