UP Cabinet Expansion: Ahead of 2027 Polls, Yogi Adityanath Sets Strategic Course with New Ministers

Ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath presides over the first cabinet meeting following a significant cabinet expansion. The move, aimed at fortifying the BJP's position, includes new ministerial appointments, but draws criticism from the opposition regarding political strategy and governance implications.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is set to lead the inaugural cabinet meeting following a substantial expansion of his council ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections. Scheduled for 5 pm today, the meeting will involve critical discussions with ministers and may see the announcement of pivotal decisions, according to sources.

The expansion on May 10 added several new members, including former State BJP chief Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary and BJP figure Manoj Kumar Pandey, further reinforcing the administrative team in Lucknow's Jan Bhavan. Other key figures inducted were Krishna Paswan, Surendra Diler, Hansraj Vishwakarma, and Kailash Singh Rajput, with Ajit Singh Pal and Somendra Tomar elevated to ministers of state with independent charge.

In opposition, Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Akhilesh Yadav questioned the selection process and raised concerns over the reshuffle's political motives, particularly the number of vacancies and the preference given to new defectors over long-standing party members. This cabinet restructuring comes as the BJP-led NDA gears up for a consequential third term in the upcoming state elections.