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Adityanath to expand cabinet today ahead of 2022 polls, may add 7 new faces
The expansion comes keeping the states elections in mind after the Bharatiya Janata Party won 325 seats in the 403-member assembly.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath will on Sunday expand his cabinet and is likely to induct seven new faces months ahead of the assembly election in the politically crucial state early next year, people familiar with the development said. The seven ministers will be inducted into the cabinet at 6pm, according to Raj Bhavan officials.
The names of former Congress leader Jitin Prasada, Sanjay Nishad, Baby Rani Maurya, Sangeeta Balwant, Tejpal Nagar, Chhatrapal Gangwar, Sanjay Gond and Dharamvir Prajapati are doing the rounds. The expansion comes keeping the states elections in mind after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 325 seats in the 403-member assembly in 2017. The Samajwadi Party and its allies won 54 and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) of Mayawati got 19 seats.
UP is expected to go to the polls in early 2022 and the BJP has decided to contest the polls under the leadership of Adiyanath. Last week, Adityanath expressed confidence that the BJP would return to power in the state with an overwhelming majority in the assembly election.
Earlier this week, defence minister Rajnath showered praise on Adityanath "for maintaining the law and order situation in the state". "People may give arguments but till law and order are in place, Uttar Pradesh cannot progress. The state cannot develop without good law and order. An able administrator, the chief minister has been performing religious events as well," Singh said on Friday.
He said the chief minister had done commendable work and his name sends shivers down the spine of criminals. "This country has seen enormous change since PM Modi came to power with a majority. Look at PM Modi, when he had to choose the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, he chose Yogi Adityanath from Gorakh math," Singh also said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also praised Adityanath and his government for leading "the biggest development campaigns of the country".
(With agency inputs)
