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 Yogi Adityanath sworn in as CM again with 52-member team

Yogi Adityanath took oath as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, the first chief minister to do so for a second successive term after having completed a full five-year term in the State. Mr. Adityanath was sworn in along with 52 ministers including Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brijesh Pathak as deputy chief ministers.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief ministers of BJP-ruled States as well as Chief Minister of Bihar Nitish Kumar were present at the function at the Atal Behari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Aditiyanath greets Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Atal Bihari Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on March 25, 2022.

Of the 52, 16 were Cabinet Ministers, and 34 Misters of State. Almost 20 Ministers from the previous government (of whom 11 lost polls) were dropped in this exercise.

The new Council of Ministers is significant not just in terms of the inclusions but the exclusions as well. Deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, former party president of U.P. BJP was included despite losing his Assembly seat of Sirathu, a nod to the fact that he is an important OBC face of the party in a State where non-Yadav OBC votes have become the fulcrum of the contest.

Brijesh Pathak has been elevated as Deputy Chief Minister in place of Dinesh Sharma, both of whom are from the Brahmin community.

According to the list of inductees, the BJP’s political focus in terms of community strength has been well reflected. Of the 52 Ministers, 21 belong to the OBC communities, and this list is dominated specifically by Kurmi MLAs, a reflection of the fact that the BJP did not do very well in the so-called Kurmi belt of the State in districts like Ambedkar Nagar and Kaushambi.

Upper castes have cornered 21 berths, with seven each for Brahmin and Rajput communities. Nine ministers belong to the Scheduled Caste communities. One Muslim minister, Danish Azad Ansari, and one Sikh, Baldev Singh Aulakh, represent the minorities in the list.

Upper castes have cornered 21 berths, with seven each for Brahmin and Rajput communities. Nine ministers belong to the Scheduled Caste communities. One Muslim minister, Danish Azad Ansari, and one Sikh, Baldev Singh Aulakh, represent the minorities in the list.