Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], May 10 (ANI): The Uttar Pradesh government, led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on Sunday expanded its cabinet ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections, inducting several new ministers and strengthening its administrative team at Jan Bhavan in Lucknow.

Former Uttar Pradesh BJP chief Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary and BJP leader Manoj Kumar Pandey were among those sworn in as ministers in the state cabinet. Manoj Pandey had recently joined the BJP from the Samajwadi Party before his induction.

Krishna Paswan also took oath as minister along with Surendra Diler, Hansraj Vishwakarma and Kailash Singh Rajput.

Besides expanding his team, CM Yogi elevated Ajit Singh Pal and Somendra Tomar as minister of state with independent charge.

The oath of office was administered to them by Governor Anandiben Patel.

Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath met Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel at Lok Bhavan ahead of the cabinet expansion.

The expansion comes as the state prepares for the 2027 Legislative Assembly elections, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) aiming for a third consecutive term in power.

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.

https://x.com/yadavakhilesh/status/2053322834362225095

Taking aim 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. (ANI)