Lucknow, May 10 (IANS) In a significant political move ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday carried out the much-anticipated expansion of his Council of Ministers, inducting six new ministers and promoting two Ministers of State in an apparent bid to strike a balance between caste, regional and organisational equations.

Governor Anandiben Patel administered the oath of office and secrecy to the newly inducted ministers at a ceremony held at Raj Bhavan in Lucknow.

Former Uttar Pradesh BJP president Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary was the first to take oath as a Cabinet minister, underlining his growing importance within the party, particularly in western Uttar Pradesh. He was followed by Manoj Pandey, a prominent Brahmin leader and former Samajwadi Party MLA, who recently joined the BJP.

The other leaders inducted into the ministry include Surendra Diler, Krishna Paswan, Hansraj Vishwakarma and Kailash Rajput. In addition, Ministers of State Ajit Pal and Somendra Tomar were elevated, reflecting the BJP’s effort to maintain administrative and regional balance within the government.

Speaking after taking the oath, Krishna Paswan said the government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath would continue to work with greater commitment and speed for the development of the state.

The Cabinet reshuffle is being viewed as part of the BJP’s broader social engineering strategy ahead of the Assembly polls. Of the six newly inducted ministers, one belongs to the Brahmin community, three are from Other Backward Classes (OBCs), and two are Dalit leaders.

Political analysts believe the inclusion of Manoj Pandey is aimed at strengthening the BJP’s outreach among Brahmins, while the induction of Bhupendra Chaudhary is expected to bolster the party’s standing among Jat voters and in western Uttar Pradesh.

They also see the expansion as an attempt by the BJP leadership to reinforce social representation, regional inclusivity and coordination with allies before the high-stakes 2027 elections.

The previous expansion of the Yogi Adityanath government during its second term had taken place on March 5, 2024, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, when Om Prakash Rajbhar, Dara Singh Chauhan, Anil Kumar and Sunil Sharma were inducted into the Cabinet.

Under constitutional provisions, Uttar Pradesh can have a maximum of 60 ministers, including the Chief Minister. Before Sunday’s expansion, the Yogi Cabinet had 54 ministers, leaving six vacancies, all of which have now been filled.

–IANS

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