Jitin Prasada says he is 'thankful' for cabinet berth in Uttar Pradesh govt

Jitin Prasada, who has been rewarded with a cabinet berth in the Yogi Adityanath government for his recent switch from the Congress to the BJP, has said he is "thankful" for what he got.

"It is not about promotion or demotion, it's about the intent to serve the people and whatever opportunity and responsibility I have got I am thankful to the BJP leadership, especially to the PM, Home Minister Amit Shah, JP Nadda and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath," Prasada told NDTV a day after he was inducted.

He has been given the charge of the technical education department, a portfolio earlier held by Kamal Rani Varun who died of Covid in August.


Prasada, 47, who was once a union minister in the Manmohan Singh cabinet, refused to see the state berth as a demotion, saying what was important was the intent to serve the people

He was among the seven ministers to be included this weekend in the Uttar Pradesh cabinet, with only a handful of months to go for state elections. He was administered oath as cabinet minister, while six others were sworn in as Ministers of State.

"My endeavour will be that we form the government in Uttar Pradesh under the leadership of Prime Minister and Chief Minister, and win the confidence of the people," he said soon after he was sworn in.

With the latest inductions, the Uttar Pradesh government has reached the constitutional limit of a maximum of 60 ministers.