UP cabinet expansion: BJP's Sunil Kumar Sharma, Dara Singh Chauhan; RLD's Anil Kumar; SBSP chief OP Rajbhar take oath

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath expanded his cabinet on Tuesday, the first expansion in his second term. The induction saw two new faces from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), one from the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), and another from the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP).

Notable additions to the cabinet include Dara Singh Chauhan, a BJP leader who rejoined the party after a stint with the Samajwadi Party last year, and Sunil Kumar Sharma, BJP MLA from Sahibabad. Alongside them, Anil Kumar, RLD MLA from Purkazi in Muzaffarnagar, and SBSP Chief OP Rajbhar also took the oath as miniters this evening.

The current UP council of ministers has 52 members -- 18 cabinet ministers, including the chief Minister, 14 ministers of state (independent charge) and 20 ministers of state.


The cabinet expansion is seen to be an attempt by the BJP to consolidate its position in several regions of the state ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

Last week, Rashtriya Lok Dal leader Jayant Chaudhary met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president J P Nadda in Delhi and formally joined the ruling National Democratic Alliance. On Monday, RLD declared its candidates from Bijnor and Baghpat for the general elections.

Chandan Chauhan, a sitting MLA of the party from Meerapur in Muzaffarnagar, will contest from Bijnor and Dr Rajkumar Sangwan, a senior leader and national secretary of the party, from Baghpat Lok Sabha seat.

Dara Singh Chauhan, who lost the Ghosi assembly bye-election after returning to the BJP last year, was elected to the UP Legislative Council this year in January. OP Rajbhar also re-joined the BJP-led NDA last year in 2023.

(With agency inputs)