Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], May 10 : In a strategic move aimed at fortifying its grassroots appeal before the next Assembly elections, the Uttar Pradesh government has moved to fill vacancies in the State Council of Ministers.
The expansion is being viewed as a calculated "balancing act" to secure key demographics and regional strongholds.
Confirming the development, UP Minister Daya Shankar Singh highlighted that the expansion was a necessary administrative and political calibration.
"There were six vacant positions in the Council of Ministers. They are being filled... This arrangement has been made to maintain balance across all regions and social groups," Singh told ANI. He extended his support to the new inductees, adding, "Congratulations to whoever becomes a minister."
Uttar Pradesh expanded its Council of Ministers on Sunday, taking it to the maximum permitted strength of 60 in the 403-member Assembly.
Former BJP State President Bhupendra Chaudhary and BJP leader Manoj Pandey were sworn in as Cabinet Ministers.
State ministers Ajit Pal Singh and Somendra Tomar were elevated and given independent charge of their departments.
Four new faces -- Krishna Paswan, Surendra Diler, Hansraj Vishwakarma, and Kailash Rajput -- were inducted as Ministers of State.
With the upcoming Assembly polls looming, the reshuffle is less about departmental efficiency and more about social engineering.
On the expansion of the Uttar Pradesh cabinet, Uttar Pradesh Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna said that the decision rests with the Chief Minister and the state government is focused on ensuring overall development.
Khanna said, "This is the Chief Minister's prerogative. The double-engine government is making efforts at every level to ensure all-round development in the state..."
Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, earlier in the day, reacted to the development on X, questioning the selection process and criticising the political implications of the cabinet expansion. He raised concerns over the limited number of vacancies and the inclusion of leaders who recently switched parties, while also targeting the BJP over governance issues.
Aiming at the BJP's decision-making, he wrote, "There are only 6 vacancies in the UP cabinet, yet more people have switched over from other parties than that--will all of them be honored with ministerial positions?"
He further questioned the selection criteria within the ruling party, asking, "Will the weakest among them be selected, so that their weakness is somewhat mitigated?" and also raised concerns over representation, stating, "If just one is chosen from among several MLAs of a community, what will be the basis for the selection?"
Extending his criticism, Akhilesh Yadav questioned the future of leaders who recently switched to the BJP but may not find space in the cabinet. He asked, "What will happen to those party-switchers? Will their neglect and humiliation be pacified with some give-and-take?" and added, "Won't the rest of those left out feel utterly cheated?"
He also targeted internal party dynamics, referring to long-pending aspirations within the BJP ranks, asking what would happen to those who have "waited for years" to become ministers but may now be sidelined due to the induction of new entrants.
This is the second cabinet expansion under the Yogi 2.0 government since it came to power. The latest reshuffle comes after the first expansion was carried out in March 2024, nearly two years after the formation of the government.