UP cabinet expansion: Yogi government gets 4 new ministers, including SBSP’s OP Rajbhar

UP CM Yogi Adityanath has inducted four new ministers into his cabinet (ANI Photo)

In the first cabinet expansion of his second term, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on March 5 inducted four new ministers into the government - two from BJP and one each from allies RLD and SBSP.

BJP leader Dara Singh Chauhan, who rejoined BJP after a stint with the Samajwadi Party last year, as well as BJP MLA from Sahibabad, Sunil Kumar Sharma, took oath as ministers.

RLD leader and Purkazi MLA Anil Kumar and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) chief OP Rajbhar also took as ministers in the Yogi cabinet.

With this, the strength of the UP council of ministers has now gone up to 56 from 52.

The move to induct four new ministers is seen as an attempt by the BJP to consolidate its position in several regions of the state ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

It is also part of the party accomodating allies into the government. Last week, RLD’s Jayant Chaudhary had formally joined BJP in the presence of Union home minister Amit Shah and BJP chief JP Nadda.

(With inputs from agencies)