Lucknow: The Yogi Adityanath government of Uttar Pradesh late Sunday finally allocated portfolios to newly inducted ministers. The distribution underlines Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s iron grip on his administration as he retains key departments, some of which were being eyed by his deputies Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, according to government functionaries and BJP leaders.
On 10 May, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inducted six new ministers—two of Cabinet rank and four ministers of state—and gave two existing ministers of state independent charge. Former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president Bhupendra Chaudhry and Samajwadi Party (SP) rebel Manoj Pandey were made Cabinet ministers, while Ajit Pal Singh and Somendra Tomar were elevated to ministers of state with independent charge.
The four new ministers of state include Krishna Paswan, Surendra Diler, Hansraj Vishwakarma and Kailash Rajput.
The ministerial rejig is being seen as part of the BJP’s broader strategy to balance caste equations and regional representation ahead of future political challenges, with elections in Uttar Pradesh scheduled for early next year.
There had been nearly a week of suspense and speculation within BJP circles over possible changes in the departments handled by the chief minster’s two deputies.
Sources said both leaders were dissatisfied with their existing portfolios, and had on several occasions expressed concerns over the functioning of officials to the chief minister. They were also believed to have raised the issue with the party’s central leadership in recent months.
At present, Yogi Adityanath directly controls more than 25 departments, including crucial ministries such as Home, Public Works Department (PWD), Law, Information and Revenue. After Jitin Prasada was elected to the Lok Sabha from Pilibhit in 2024, Adityanath retained his departments instead of reallocating them.
According to BJP sources, both deputy chief ministers and Bhupendra Chaudhary were interested in securing some of these departments, particularly PWD, but the chief minister chose to retain these.
Before finalising portfolio allocation, Yogi Adityanath also met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president Nitin Nabin in New Delhi.
A functionary in the Chief Minister’s Office said several ministers had attempted to build pressure in recent months through statements and strategic leaks, but the final allocation demonstrated that the chief minister’s hold on power within the state government remains intact.
When asked why the chief minister chose to retain key ministries, he said, “Why would anyone want to project himself as weak before crucial elections? The PWD is considered as the second most powerful ministry in Uttar Pradesh after the Home Department, and the chief minister continues to hold both portfolios himself.”
Among the newly inducted Cabinet ministers, Bhupendra Chaudhary was assigned the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) department, while Manoj Pandey was given the Food and Civil Supplies portfolio.
The government also allocated departments to Ajit Pal Singh and Somendra Tomar, who were elevated to Ministers of State with Independent Charge. Ajit Pal Singh got Food Security and Drug Administration, while Somendra Tomar was allotted the Sainik Kalyan and Prantiya Raksha Dal (PRD) department along with Political Pension.
Of the four new Ministers of State, Krishna Paswan was attached to the Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development department, Surendra Diler to Revenue, Hansraj Vishwakarma to MSME, and Kailash Rajput to the Energy and Additional Energy Sources department.
State functionaries of the BJP say none of the ministers received a major ‘heavyweight’ portfolio, despite days of speculation, internal bargaining and pressure tactics. Party insiders say the final allocation reflected the chief minister’s preferences entirely, making the ministers wait for a week before deciding on portfolios with consent of the party leadership.
(Edited by Nardeep Singh Dahiya)
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