UP CM allocates portfolios to 4 newly inducted ministers

NEW DELHI: Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has assigned portfolios to the four recently inducted ministers. Among them are Om Prakash Rajbhar, the chief of Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), and Anil Kumar from the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD).

Dara Singh Chauhan and Sunil Kumar Sharma, both BJP leaders, complete the quartet of new entrants into the state Cabinet. This strategic maneuver by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is aimed at strengthening its foothold in various regions of the state.

Governor Anandiben Patel administered the oath of office to the ministers at the Raj Bhavan in the presence of Chief Minister Adityanath on March 5.

According to the Director of Information, Shishir, Om Prakash Rajbhar has been entrusted with the Panchayati Raj, Minority Welfare, Haj, and Waqf departments. Dara Singh Chauhan will oversee the Prison Department, while Sunil Kumar Sharma has been assigned the portfolios of IT and Electronics, and Anil Kumar will handle the Science and Technology Department.

Prior to this reshuffle, the Prison Department was under the purview of Dharmveer Prajapati, who will now take charge of the Civil Defence Department. Similarly, Dharmpal Singh, who previously managed Minority Welfare, Haj, and Waqf departments, will now oversee Animal Husbandry and Dairy departments.

Om Prakash Rajbhar, representing the Zahoorabad Assembly constituency in Ghazipur district, and Anil Kumar, an RLD MLA from Purkazi (SC) in Muzaffarnagar, bring diverse regional perspectives to the cabinet.

Meanwhile, Sunil Kumar Sharma represents the Sahibabad Assembly constituency in Ghaziabad district, and Dara Singh Chauhan is a member of the UP Legislative Council.

The inclusion of Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) in the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) underscores a strategic political realignment.

Before this expansion, the council of ministers comprised 52 members, including 18 Cabinet ministers, 14 Ministers of State (independent charge), and 20 MoSes. With the addition of these four ministers, the total strength of UP's council of ministers will reach 56, leaving room for four more appointments as per the provisions, with a maximum cap of 60 ministers.

Dara Singh Chauhan, who recently transitioned back to the BJP from the Samajwadi Party, secured a seat in the UP Legislative Council earlier this year. Similarly, Om Prakash Rajbhar rejoined the BJP-led NDA in 2023, after his earlier stint as a cabinet minister in Yogi Adityanath's first government.

Rajbhar, known for founding the SBSP in 2002 after parting ways with the BSP, hails from Varanasi district, wielding significant influence, particularly in eastern Uttar Pradesh. The SBSP, which contested the 2017 UP Assembly elections in alliance with the BJP, has been a key player in the state's political landscape.

As Uttar Pradesh gears up for the next phase of political maneuvers, the allocation of portfolios to these new ministers signals a concerted effort by the ruling BJP to fortify its position and navigate the complex electoral terrain of the state.

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