In the political realm of Lucknow, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath orchestrated a cabinet expansion on the recent Tuesday, ushering in a duo from the BJP, one representative from RLD, and another hailing from SBSP. The oath-taking ceremony, an august affair, witnessed the induction of BJP stalwarts Sunil Kumar Sharma and Dara Singh Chauhan, RLD’s Anil Kumar, and the venerable OP Rajbhar, head honcho of SBSP. Governor Anandiben Patel officiated the ceremony at the esteemed Raj Bhavan, graced by Adityanath’s formidable presence.
Delving into their political domains, Rajbhar presides over the Zahoorabad assembly constituency in the Ghazipur district. Anil Kumar, on the other hand, stands as an MLA representing Purkazi (SC) in Muzaffarnagar. Sunil Kumar Sharma, a luminary in the BJP ranks, holds the Sahibabad assembly constituency in the Ghaziabad district. Meanwhile, Dara Singh Chauhan commands a position in the esteemed UP Legislative Council.
This marks the inaugural Cabinet expansion during Adityanath’s second tenure as Chief Minister, strategically perceived as the BJP’s maneuver to fortify its standing across diverse regions preceding the imminent Lok Sabha polls. The inclusion of Rashtriya Lok Dal and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party underscores the evolving landscape of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
The extant UP council of ministers boasts an assemblage of 52 members, comprising 18 cabinet ministers, inclusive of the Chief Minister, 14 ministers of state holding independent charge, and an additional 20 ministers of state. Noteworthy developments include Rashtriya Lok Dal luminary Jayant Chaudhary formally aligning with the ruling NDA after consultations with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP National President J P Nadda in Delhi last week. Furthermore, RLD has unveiled its candidates for Bijnor and Baghpat in the forthcoming general elections.
Championing the electoral battleground, Chandan Chauhan, a sitting MLA from Meerapur in Muzaffarnagar, emerges as the flagbearer for Bijnor, while the seasoned Dr. Rajkumar Sangwan, a national secretary of the party, steps into the fray for the coveted Baghpat Lok Sabha seat. Dara Singh Chauhan, who faced defeat in the Ghosi assembly bye-election upon his return to the BJP last year, has now etched his place in the UP Legislative Council as of January this year. Notably, OP Rajbhar rejoined the BJP-led NDA fold in the annals of 2023, signifying the intricate political tapestry unfolding in Uttar Pradesh.