UP CM Yogi Adityanath to hold first cabinet meeting after expansion today at 5 pm

The meeting is scheduled to take place at 5 pm today, where Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will hold discussions with ministers. According to sources, several important decisions may be taken during the meeting.

The development comes after the Uttar Pradesh government, led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on May 10 expanded its cabinet ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections, inducting several new ministers and strengthening its administrative team at Jan Bhavan in Lucknow.

Former Uttar Pradesh BJP chief Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary and BJP leader Manoj Kumar Pandey were among those sworn in as ministers in the state cabinet.

Krishna Paswan also took oath as minister along with Surendra Diler, Hansraj Vishwakarma and Kailash Singh Rajput. Besides expanding his team, CM Yogi elevated Ajit Singh Pal and Somendra Tomar as ministers of state with independent charge.

The oath of office was administered to them by Governor Anandiben Patel.

Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav questioned the selection process and criticised the political implications of the cabinet expansion. He raised concerns over the limited number of vacancies and the inclusion of leaders who recently switched parties, while also targeting the BJP over governance issues.

"There are only 6 vacancies in the UP cabinet, yet more people have switched over from other parties than that--will all of them be honoured with ministerial positions?" he asked.

SP chief also targeted internal party dynamics, referring to long-pending aspirations within the BJP ranks, asking what would happen to those who have "waited for years" to become ministers but may now be sidelined due to the induction of new entrants.

The expansion comes as the state prepares for the 2027 Legislative Assembly elections, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) aiming for a third consecutive term in power. (ANI)