Upper Caste and Other Backward Classes legislators and leaders with an RSS background were favoured as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expanded his Cabinet on on Wednesday, his first since March 2017 when the BJP-led alliance formed a majority government in the State.
Twenty-three ministers, including six Cabinet ministers, were administered oath by Governor Anandiben Patel at the Raj Bhavan.
Out of the 23, upper castes dominated with 11 Ministers, while the OBCs who form over 40% of the State;s population, had nine representatives.
The remaining three were Dalits, who make up 21% of Uttar Pradesh’s electorate.
While four Ministers of State (Independent charge) were promoted to the Cabinet rank, two fresh faces were also inducted. These were Kamal Rani Varun, a Dalit (Pasi) MLA from Ghatampur in Kanpur, and Ram Naresh Agnihotri, a Brahmin MLA from Bhogaon in Mainpuri.
Ms. Varun, a first-time MLA, is a former councillor and pracharak of Seva Bharti, an RSS affiliate. Mr. Agnihotri was an RSS pracharak during 1980-82.
Suresh Rana and Mahendra Singh (both Thakurs), and Anil Rajbhar and Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary (both OBCs) were promoted to the Cabinet.
The elevation of Mr. Rajbhar is in line with the BJP’s strategy to project him as the leader of the Rajbhar community, which is politically active in eastern U.P.
