Lucknow, Dec. 15 -- The focus is set to shift to filling the vacant ministerial berths in the Yogi Adityanath government as the BJP has finally completed its long-pending organisational restructuring with the appointment of the new state president. The long-speculated minister expansion is now being viewed within the party as a natural and necessary corollary to the organisational rejig, particularly in a crucial election year. The exercise will be driven as much by political messaging as by administrative requirements, people aware of the matter said. The Council of Ministers in UP can have a maximum of 60 members as permitted by the law. Currently, there are 54 ministers, including chief minister Yogi Adityanath. There are six vacancies that may be filled. The outgoing state BJP president, a prominent Jat leader from western Uttar Pradesh, Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary is most likely to be accommodated in the government to suitably compensate for the position he had quit in the party organisation. Currently, he is a member of the Upper House of the state legislature. "Induction of the outgoing BJP president in the Cabinet is certain as doing so is politically expedient to reassure the politically significant Jat community in western UP, a region where electoral equations remain fluid," a senior BJP leader said. Before he moved to the party organisation as the president in August, 2022, Bhupendra Chaudhary was serving as panchayati raj minister in the government. With the newly appointed BJP state president Pankaj Chaudhary coming from the OBC bloc, the party is also weighing the option of elevating a Scheduled Caste (SC) leader to a key position in the government to maintain social balance. The two most important positions after the CM in the government - those of the deputy CMs - are held by an OBC (Keshav Prasad Maurya) and a Brahmin (Brajesh Pathak). There is speculation that a third deputy CM, this time from the SC community, may be appointed. Mahendra Singh, an MLC and former minister, also may make a comeback to the government, according to those in the know of things. Currently, he is the election incharge for Madhya Pradesh. In addition, rebel Samajwadi Party MLA from Unchhahar Manoj Pandey is considered a strong contender for a ministerial berth. The ministry expansion may also be used to address regional imbalances within the government, people aware of the matter said. Both chief minister Yogi Adityanath and the newly appointed state BJP chief Pankaj Chaudhary hail from the same close geographical region. People aware of developments say the expansion could take place sooner rather than later....