Uttar Pradesh cabinet expansion: Yogi govt adds 6 ministers in major reshuffle before 2027 elections

The Uttar Pradesh government conducted its second cabinet expansion on May 10, 2024, inducting two cabinet ministers—Bhupendra Chaudhary and Manoj Pandey—and four ministers of state while promoting Ajit Pal Singh and Somendra Tomar to independent charge. The oath ceremony took place at Jan Bhavan in Lucknow, administered by Governor Anandiben Patel, as the state prepares for the 2027 Assembly elections. The reshuffle aims to strengthen caste and regional representation across Uttar Pradesh. Bhupendra Chaudhary, previously the BJP state president, was brought back to appeal to the Jat community in western Uttar Pradesh. Manoj Pandey, a former Samajwadi Party MLA, joined the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and now represents Raebareli’s Unchahar constituency. Somendra Tomar’s elevation balances Gurjar community representation, while Krishna Paswan and Surendra Diler highlight the BJP’s focus on Dalit communities. Paswan, from the Pasi community, and Diler, from the Valmiki community, both hold key party roles. Hansraj Vishwakarma and Kailash Rajput, long-time BJP leaders from Varanasi and Kannauj respectively, were also inducted. Celebrations followed in districts like Aligarh, Meerut, Kannauj, and Raebareli, with supporters gathering outside the newly appointed ministers’ residences. Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak stated the expanded cabinet would accelerate development and prepare the party for the upcoming elections. The cabinet now comprises 23 cabinet ministers, 16 ministers of state with independent charge, and 21 ministers of state, reaching its full constitutional strength. The reshuffle underscores the BJP’s strategy to consolidate support ahead of the 2027 polls.