Uttar Pradesh Cabinet Expanded with 8 Ministers

The Uttar Pradesh cabinet expanded on Sunday with the induction of two new cabinet ministers, the elevation of two ministers of state to independent charge, and the appointment of four additional ministers of state, as Governor Anandiben Patel administered oaths at Jan Bhavan in Lucknow.

Former Bharatiya Janata Party state president Bhupendra Chaudhary and Samajwadi Party rebel Manoj Pandey joined as cabinet ministers. Ajit Pal Singh, previously minister of state for science and technology, and Somendra Tomar, formerly minister of state for energy, were promoted to ministers of state with independent charge. The new ministers of state include Krishna Paswan, Surendra Diler, Hansraj Vishwakarma, and Kailash Rajput.

This marks the second cabinet expansion under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's government since it took office in 2022 following the state assembly elections. The first occurred in March 2024, when alliance partner Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party leader Om Prakash Rajbhar and others, including returnees from the Samajwadi Party, were inducted.

Prior to Sunday's changes, the council had 54 members, leaving six vacancies out of the maximum 60 allowed under the 91st...