UP Cabinet expansion likely soon, BJP weighs Gujarat-style reset ahead of 2027 polls

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

• Yogi govt plans major cabinet reshuffle ahead of 2027 UP polls
• Up to 15 new ministers in, over a dozen likely dropped
• Move aims to recalibrate caste and regional equations in cabinet

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The second cabinet expansion of the government led by Yogi Adityanath is expected soon, with the ruling BJP considering a major political reset in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections and upcoming local body polls.

Sources indicate that more than a dozen ministers could be dropped, while around 15 new faces, including MLAs and party office-bearers, may be inducted to recalibrate caste and regional equations. The move is being discussed on the lines of the Gujarat model, where a large-scale reshuffle was carried out before elections.

At present, the government has 54 ministers, including Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak. The council comprises 21 cabinet ministers, 14 ministers of state with independent charge and 19 ministers of state. The constitutional cap allows up to 60 ministers, leaving scope for six more inductions.

The first expansion of the current term took place on March 5, 2024, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, when leaders such as Om Prakash Rajbhar, Anil Kumar from the RLD, Sunil Sharma and Dara Singh Chauhan were inducted.

Recent organisational changes have added to the buzz around the expansion. Pankaj Chaudhary took over as the state BJP chief in December 2025, while Nitin Naveen has assumed a key national role. Party insiders say these developments have accelerated consultations on both cabinet reshuffle and organisational restructuring.

A section within the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is pushing for a large-scale overhaul, with proposals to replace up to 50 percent of the current ministers. The idea is to send sitting ministers into the field for at least a year to focus on electoral mobilisation while bringing in new faces to energise governance and improve social representation.

However, there is also a competing view within the party that cautions against a sweeping reshuffle in an election-bound phase. This camp favours a limited expansion, suggesting that ministers should not be dropped but their portfolios reshuffled, while new entrants fill vacant positions. Concerns have also been raised that removing ministers could trigger defections or internal dissent.

Complaints against Ministers

Complaints against several ministers have reportedly reached both the state and central leadership through MLAs, party functionaries and RSS channels. Feedback from coordination meetings has pointed to performance issues and dissatisfaction at the grassroots level.

The discussion over expansion gained momentum after back-to-back meetings between BJP and RSS leaders in Lucknow. A key meeting was held at the chief minister’s residence, last week attended by senior RSS functionary Arun Kumar along with the deputy chief ministers, state leadership and organisation in-charge Dharampal Singh. Arun Kumar also held a closed-door meeting with RSS office-bearers to assess the political situation in the state.

Sources said the BJP’s central leadership has largely finalised names to fill around half a dozen vacant cabinet berths, with a focus on caste and regional balance. Likely entrants may include a Kurmi or Pasi leader from the Awadh region, former state BJP chief Bhupendra Chaudhary from western Uttar Pradesh, a Brahmin leader from Rae Bareli and a woman MLA.

The party is also expected to fast-track appointments to commissions and corporations while undertaking a broader organisational reshuffle.

Gujarat model

The Gujarat model is being closely studied as a template. Ahead of the 2022 Gujarat Assembly elections, the BJP replaced a majority of its cabinet, inducting a large number of new faces under Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel. The move was seen as a political reset that helped the party counter anti-incumbency and rework social equations, eventually resulting in a landslide victory.

Political observers say a similar calibrated reshuffle in Uttar Pradesh could help the BJP address local dissatisfaction, project a renewed leadership and strengthen its electoral strategy ahead of 2027. At the same time, the timing and scale of the expansion will remain crucial in balancing governance stability with political messaging.