UP cabinet expansion live updates: Jitin Prasada, 6 others take oath as ministers

UP CM curates his caste bouquet in last cabinet expansion before assembly polls

With an attempt to set the caste balance right and give more representation to most backwards and schedule castes before the state polls next year, chief minister Yogi Adityanath inducted seven new ministers into his cabinet on Sunday. Full story here

Uttar Pradesh: Meet newly inducted ministers in Yogi Adityanath cabinet

Keeping caste equations and regional aspirations in mind, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath expanded his cabinet on Sunday ahead of crucial assembly elections in the state early next year. As many as seven ministers took oath at a ceremony held in Gandhi auditorium at the Raj Bhavan in Lucknow. Know more about all the new ministers here

The six ministers of state who were sworn in are -- Sanjeev Gond (ST-Sonbhadra), Dharamvir Prajapati (OBC-Agra), Chhatrapal Gangwar (OBC-Bareilly), Sangita Balwant Bind (OBC-Ghazipur), Paltu Ram (SC- Balrampur) and Dinesh Khatik (SC-Meerut).

While Jitin Prasada, who has been sworn in as cabinet minister, is the lone Brahmin leader to get a place in today's expansion, the remaining six belong to OBC (three) and Scheduled Caste (two) and Scheduled Tribe (one).

Through this expansion, the BJP has made it clear that it will focus on OBCs and SC/ST categories to ensure its return to power in next year's assembly elections.

With the expansion, the upper limit of 60 of the ministry has been reached.

This is the third time the Yogi cabinet has been expanded since the chief minister was first sworn in on March 19, 2017.

Governor Anandi Ben Patel administers oath of office to Minister of State Dharamveer Prajapati

Photos from the ceremony

BJP MLAs Paltu Ram, Sangeeta Balwant, Sanjeev Kumar, and Dinesh Khatik take oath as ministers of state (MoS) in the Uttar Pradesh govt

MLA Chhatarpal Gangwar takes oath as a minister of state (MoS) in the Uttar Pradesh government

Watch: BJP leader Jitin Prasada takes oath

Prasada joined the BJP from Congress in June this year

BJP leader Jitin Prasada takes oath as a minister in the Uttar Pradesh government

The maximum strength of the UP cabinet can be 15 per cent of the total strength of its Assembly. The Uttar Pradesh Assembly has 403 seats.

At present, there are 23 cabinet ministers in UP including chief minister Yogi Adityanath. There are nine ministers of state with independent charges and there are 21 ministers of state.

There are 53 ministers in the UP cabinet at present and seven more can be inducted as per the constitutional limit.

Jitin Prasada, Chhatrapal Singh, Paltu Ram, Sangita Balwant, Sanjeev Kumar, Dinesh Khatik, and Dharmvir Singh to take oath as ministers in the Uttar Pradesh government this evening. (ANI)

Uttar Pradesh: 3 OBCs, 2 dalits likely to be inducted as new ministers in Yogi Adityanath's cabinet

Just a few months before ruling BJP goes to assembly polls in early 2022, it has decided to set its house of castes in order. With an aim to woo OBCs and MBCs who have not got adequate share in the government and to keep the upper caste Brahmin community in good humour, the Yogi Adityanath-led government is likely to induct one Brahmin, three OBCs, one ST and two dalits in the ministry. Similarly, three OBCs would be accommodated in the nominated MLCs seat which has been lying vacant since July this year. Full story here

The cabinet expansion will take place at around 5.30pm today