Yogi Cabinet Expanded: 6 New Faces Inducted, 2 Ministers Promoted; Bhupendra Chaudhary and Manoj Pandey Become Cabinet Ministers

Lucknow: The cabinet of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has been expanded with the induction of six new faces, while two existing ministers have been promoted and given independent charge. Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel administered the oath of office and secrecy to the ministers at Lok Bhavan in the presence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

The oath-taking ceremony began with former UP BJP president and prominent Jat leader from western Uttar Pradesh, Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary, taking oath as a Cabinet Minister. Currently a member of the Legislative Council, his induction is being viewed as a strategic move to strengthen social equations in western UP.

Following him, Manoj Pandey was sworn in as a Cabinet Minister. A prominent Brahmin face in the BJP, Pandey is an MLA from Unchahar. He was previously with the Samajwadi Party but joined the BJP in 2024 after breaking ranks with his former party.

Ajit Pal Singh has been promoted and given independent charge. A key leader of the Pal community, he represents the Sikandra seat in Kanpur Dehat as a BJP MLA.

Similarly, Somendra Tomar has also been elevated and given independent charge. He first became an MLA in 2017 and was inducted as a minister in 2022.

In a move to strengthen women’s representation, Krishna Paswan has been included in the cabinet as Minister of State. She is a four-time MLA from the Khaga constituency and is considered a strong leader of the Pasi community.

Kailash Tiwari also took oath as Minister of State. His political journey began with the Janata Dal, after which he joined the Bahujan Samaj Party before eventually becoming part of the BJP.

Surendra Diler has been appointed as Minister of State. He represents the Khair seat in Aligarh and belongs to the Valmiki community. He comes from a political family, with his father Rajveer Diler having served as a Member of Parliament.

Meanwhile, Hansraj Vishwakarma has also been inducted into the cabinet. A prominent OBC leader associated with the Ram Mandir movement, he is currently a member of the Legislative Council.

Political analysts believe that through this cabinet expansion, the BJP is attempting to strike caste and regional balance ahead of upcoming elections. By giving representation to western UP, Brahmins, Dalits, backward communities, and women, the Yogi government appears to be sending a strong political message.