Danish Azad Ansari is the only Muslim face in new Uttar Pradesh government led by Yogi Adityanath. He took oath as a minister of state.
Danish Azad Ansari replaced Mohsin Raza, who served as the minister of state for minorities welfare in the previous Yogi Adityanath government.Azad Ansari is the only minister who is from the Muslim community in Yogi Adityanth's cabinet.
Ansari, is currently State General Secretary of BJP's Minority Morcha and was earlier part of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).
He has done his school education from Ballia's Holy Cross School.
He has taken Bachelors of Commerce degree from Lucknow university and Masters in Quality Management. He has also done Masters in Public Administration. Since his college days he was working for BJP student's wing and his hard work has paid back him to become a minister at the age of 32.
Ansari gave his full time to work for the party and due to his dedication for the work recently he was made the General Secretary of the minority front in October 2021.
Though Ansari has taken an oath as a minister, he is yet to contest assembly election. He will have to contest the election from Legislative Assembly or the Legislative Council to become a member of either of the house to continue as a minister.
He was nominated to the Urdu Language Committee in the Yogi Adityanath's government in October 2018, having the minister of state status.
In 2017 BJP did not field a single Muslim candidate for Uttar Pradesh's assemble election. However in first term of Yogi Adityanath, Mohsin Reza was only Muslim minister. In second term Danish Azad Ansari will be only Muslim minister.
(with inputs from PTI)
