After the union cabinet expansion on Wednesday, the total number of ministers from Uttar Pradesh rose to 16. This is the highest ever representation of UP in the union cabinet. With an eye on the coming assembly polls in UP, the ruling Bhartiya Janta Party has given a lion share to this state. In the previous Modi cabinet there were 15 ministers from UP and that too at the time 2017 state assembly elections.
Among those inducted in the union cabinet from UP are the prominent faces belonging to backward community and scheduled caste. Of the seven new ministers administered oath in the union cabinet on Wednesday three belonged to backward and Dalit community each. Lone Brahmin face to get a berth in the union cabinet is MP from Lakhimpur Ajay Mishra who was recently awarded for his performance in the parliament. To make regional balance in the state two ministers from eastern part, two from western and one from Bundelkhand have been accommodated.
Among the OBCs inducted in the union cabinet Anupriya Patel and Pankaj Chaudhury belonged to Kurmi community, a caste most dominant after Yadav in UP. Close aide of former chief minister Kalyan Singh and a young Lodh leader BL Verma has also been given a berth in the cabinet. Among dalit community Kaushal Kishore, SP Singh Baghel and Bhanu Pratap Verma has been accommodated in the cabinet.
Among those resigned from union cabinet on Wednesday included Santosh Gangwar who belonged to UP. According to a senior state BJP leader since Gangwar, an OBC leader was dropped due to age factor; three prominent faces of same community were inducted. He said that support from OBC and Dalit voters played a major role in party’s victory in the parliament and 2017 assembly elections. Keeping this in mind the party has given proper representation to these communities in state as well as the union cabinet. Besides he said that for the first time UP has given maximum representation in the union cabinet which will help in the coming assembly elections.