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formation in the state. It is certain that Adityanath will be retained as chief minister of Uttar Pradesh while the party has to take a call on the names of deputy chief ministers, sources said.

Several names have come up during discussions, including former chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, who lost the assembly elections, Dinesh Sharma, Baby Rani Maurya, Brijesh Pathak, Swatantar Dev Singh and AK Sharma, they said. However, the sources suggested that the BJP may continue with Maurya as deputy chief minister.

Many in the party believe that the BJP will renominate Shrikant Sharma as minister while newly-elected MLA and former Enforcement Directorate officer Rajeshwar Singh may also be given a chance. The oath taking ceremony of the Adityanath-led government will be held on Friday in a mega event at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ikana stadium in Lucknow.

It is expected to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with several cabinet ministers and chief ministers of BJP-ruled states. Personalities from different walks of life are also expected to be in attendance at the grand ceremony.

The BJP with its allies won 274 seats out of 403, becoming the first party in over three decades to form a government for a second consecutive time in the state.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi once again won hearts on Wednesday by wearing an Uttarakhandi cap to the swearing-in of Pushkar Singh Dhami as the chief minister of the state. Dhami began his second term with a ceremony at which eight other members of his new cabinet were also sworn in. As Modi appeared on the stage wearing the black cap with the Uttarakhand’s state flower Brahma Kamal embossed on it, he was greeted with loud cheers by the audience. Modi had worn the cap to many of his poll rallies during the campaigning for the state assembly polls.

The lone woman minister in Dhami’s cabinet Rekha Arya also caught everyone’s attention as she came to the ceremony dressed in a traditional Kumaoni attire and adorning a large nose ring. Former assembly speaker Premchand Aggarwal who made his debut as a minister on Wednesday stood out as he took his oath in Sanskrit.

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