Yogi sworn-in as UP CM

LUCKNOW,

YOGI Adityanath on Friday took oath as the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister for a second term at a ceremony where 52 others were sworn-in as ministers, as PM Narendra Modi watched the proceedings marking the BJP’s triumphant return to power in the State.

Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak were also sworn in as Deputy Chief Ministers.

The ceremony at a Lucknow stadium that can hold 50,000 people was designed to be a mega event, attended by top Union Ministers, Chief Ministers from BJP-run States and dignitaries from the world of industry and entertainment.

A festive atmosphere prevailed at Bharat Ratna Atal Behari Vajpayee Ekana stadium. Enthusiastic BJP supporters chanted “Modi, Modi” during event.

Apart from the Chief Minister, 18 Cabinet Ministers -- including the two Deputy CMs -- 14 Ministers of State (Independent charge) and 20 other Ministers of State were administered the oath by Governor Anandiben Patel.

As the event progressed, the oath was administered to two and even four Ministers of State in each go to save time. Besides Modi, the ceremony was attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and BJP national President J P Nadda.

Apart from the CMs of BJP-run State, Bihar Chief Minister and JDU leader Nitish Kumar attended the ceremony as an NDA partner.

There was much speculation over the possible return of Keshav Prasad Maurya as a deputy CM. He had lost the Assembly election from his native Sirathu seat. But after the repeat of Pushkar Singh Dhami as the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand for the second term despite losing from his own constituency, it appeared that the party might also favour the influential Other Backward Class leader in UP.

Former Uttarakhand Governor Baby Rani Maurya, who too was counted among the frontrunners for the deputy CMs post, gets a Cabinet berth.

So do BJP state unit president Swatantra Dev Singh, former IAS officer A K Sharma. Finance Minister Suresh Khanna is back.

Jitin Prasada, who had quit the Congress to join the BJP ahead of the polls, made it to the state cabinet.

The BJP-led alliance had won 273 of 403 seats in the UP Assembly polls. This is the first time in over three decades that a party has won the Assembly elections twice in a row in the crucial State, a feat that BJP leaders feel brightens the chances of its return to power in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as well. There can be a maximum of 60 ministers including the Chief Minister in Uttar Pradesh under the constitutional provisions.

BJP ally Ashish Patel of Apna Dal (Sonelal) and Nishad Party chief Sanjay Nishad also took the oath as cabinet ministers.

Danish Azad Ansari has been made a Minister of State. He is the lone Muslim face in the Adityanath Government.

UP will write another new chapter of progress: PM : PM Narendra Modi on Friday expressed confidence that the Yogi Adityanath Government in its fresh term will write another new chapter of progress in Uttar Pradesh while fulfilling people’s aspirations. Congratulating Adityanath and his ministerial colleagues on taking oath, Modi said the State’s development journey marked several important milestones in his Government’s first five years.