Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday evening expanded his cabinet and inducted seven new ministers.
Jitin Prasada, Chhatrapal Singh Gangwar, Paltu Ram, Sangita Balwant, Sanjeev Kumar, Dinesh Khatik and Dharmvir Singh were inducted into the state cabinet, which took the strength of ministers in Uttar Pradesh up to 60.
Lucknow: BJP MLAs Palturam, Sangeeta Balwant, Sanjeev Kumar and Dinesh Khatik took oath as Ministers of State (MoS) in the Government of Uttar Pradesh pic.twitter.com/4JlLAvponc
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) September 26, 2021
Prasad, a Brahmin leader, was inducted into the BJP earlier this year amid internal concerns about under-representation of the community in the party.
#Watch | BJP leader Jitin Prasad took oath as a minister in the Uttar Pradesh government at a function in Lucknow.
Prasad had joined BJP from Congress in June this year. pic.twitter.com/qlnnbp6qOL
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) September 26, 2021
Earlier in June, amid speculation that CM Adityanath would reshuffle his cabinet, BJP’s Uttar Pradesh in-charge Radha Mohan Singh had said that though there were vacancies, it is CM Adityanath’s prerogative to fill them as and when he wants. .
The BJP is contesting next year’s assembly elections, which are likely to be held in February, under the leadership of CM Adityanath.
“The central leadership has already made it clear that the party will fight the elections under the leadership of Yogi Adityanath ji to return to power,” Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma said in an interview to PTI.
Sharma was among the contenders for the top post in 2017.
Asked whether the upcoming elections would be a direct fight between the BJP and the SP or a triangular contest with Mayawati’s BSP, Sharma said, “BJP is winning hand in hand.”
In the 2017 UP assembly elections, the BJP won 312 out of 403 seats. Its ally Apna Dal (Sonelal) won nine seats.
(with agency input)
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