AMN / LUCKNOW
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expanded cabinet today. He inducted two new faces as cabinet ministers and elevated four ministers of state.
Six new ministers of state (independent charge) and 11 new ministers of state have also been inducted in Adityanath-led UP government.
Among the notable inclusions in the Cabinet was Thana Bhawan MLA Suresh Rana, an accused in the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots that claimed more than 60 lives. Rana, who Minister of State (Independent charge), faces charges related to making provocative speeches to incite riots.
Besides Rana, three ministers of state with independent charge — Mahendra Singh, Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary and Anil Rajbhar — were promoted to the Cabinet, which also saw two new faces — Ram Naresh Agnihotri and Kamla Rani Varun.
The promotion of Anil Rajbhar to the Cabinet is being seen as a measure to reach out to the Rajbhar community, which constitutes around 17-18 per cent of the population in the Purvanchal region, following the exit of Om Prakash Rajbhar from the NDA. Om Prakash Rajbhar has considerable sway among voters of his non-Yadav OBC community.
