LUCKNOW: In the first major decision of the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh, the state cabinet on Saturday decided to extend the free ration scheme initiated during the Covid pandemic by three more months.
A total of 15 crore people are benefiting from the programme in the state, Adityanath said.
The programme was an important narrative in the just-concluded Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.
After swearing-in on Friday, the first cabinet meeting of Adityanath’s second consecutive government met here this morning.
“In this introductory meeting, the chief minister thanked the people of the state for reposing their faith in nationalism, safety, good governance and development,” the Uttar Pradesh government said in a statement yesterday.
He also said that serving the people is the most pious work, and discharging duties with commitment and loyalty provides satisfaction.
Observing that honesty and transparency are extremely important in public life, the chief minister said the focus should be on performance-based work.
The ministers should also keep a special watch on their private staff.
They should visit their districts as in-charge ministers, do physical verification of development work and also take feedback from the people, Adityanath said.
The chief minister added that a special programme be organised for the ministers at IIM-Lucknow to give speed to the developmental works, the statement said.
After taking oath as the Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister for the second time, Keshav Prasad Maurya on Friday said every promise made in the BJP poll manifesto will be fulfilled on time and assured all-round development of the state.
Maurya expressed his gratitude towards the central BJP leadership, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, for appointing him as the deputy chief minister again.
He also expressed his gratitude towards the people and workers of the state.
Talking to reporters at his official residence on Kalidas Marg, Maurya said, “Every promise made in the Lok Kalyan Sankalp Patra (BJP manifesto) will be fulfilled on time and all-round development of Uttar Pradesh will be done.”
“With the motto of Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas and Sabka Vishwas (everyone’s support, development, trust), every possible help will be provided to every person of the state without any discrimination while law and order will be maintained,” he added.
Maurya said service of the people and the interests of farmers will be paramount for the BJP government in the state.
“The state will continue to move forward on the path of development,” he said.
Promising to respect the mandate given by the people, he said, “The honour of every individual and the dignity of BJP workers will be fully protected.”
Dinesh Sharma, Shrikant Sharma and Siddharth Nath Singh are among the prominent faces who are missing from the UP government this time.
The oath ceremony was held at Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Stadium in the presence of PM Narendra Modi and top BJP leaders.
Dinesh Sharma, who in the previous Yogi Adityanath government held the charge of the deputy CM, has been replaced by Brajesh Pathak.
Dinesh Sharma is a member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council.
Shrikant Sharma and Siddharth Nath Singh also failed to make the cut.
Shrikant Sharma held the charge of the power minister in the previous BJP-led government while Siddharth Nath Singh held the MSME portfolio.
The name of Satish Mahana, who headed the industry department in the previous BJP government and was elected from Maharajpur in Kanpur district, was missing from the list of new ministers.
Ramapati Shastri, a BJP MLA from Mankapur in Gonda district, too was left out.
Earlier, he held the charge of the social welfare minister.
With UP BJP chief Swatantra Dev Singh taking oath as a cabinet minister, the post of state party chief is likely to fall vacant and a new leader may be appointed to the position, a senior leader said, citing the “one person, one post” principle.
Among the leaders who failed to get a ministerial berth this time were Jai Pratap Singh, Ram Naresh Agnihotri, Ashutosh Tandon, Neelkanth Tiwari and Mahendra Singh.
Mohsin Raza, who was the lone Muslim minister in the previous state government, was replaced by Danish Azad Ansari.
Swami Prasad Maurya, Dharam Singh Saini and Dara Singh Chauhan, who were ministers in the previous BJP government, had quit the BJP just ahead of the Assembly polls and contested from the Opposition Samajwadi Party.
Ministers Mukut Bihari Verma and Swati Singh were not given ticket by the BJP in the just-concluded Assembly polls.
A know how of the new Yogi Cabinet
Danish Azad Ansari: Lone Muslim face in UP government
Danish Azad Ansari is the only Muslim face in new Uttar Pradesh government led by Yogi Adityanath.
Hailing from Ballia, Ansari replaced Mohsin Raza, who served as the minister of state for minorities’ welfare in the previous Yogi Adityanath government.
He took an oath as a minister of state.
Thirty-two-year Danish had joined the ABVP when he was a student at Lucknow University, from where he completed his graduation.
He was nominated to the Urdu Language Committee in the Yogi government in October 2018, having the minister of state status.
Danish was appointed the general secretary of the minorities cell of the BJP just before the Assembly elections.
He has done his schooling from Ballia’s Holy Cross School.
Swatantra Dev Singh: Former journalist, influential OBC leader
An influential OBC leader and currently the state BJP president, Swatantra Dev Singh was named Congress Singh by his parents.
Born on February 13, 1964 in a village of Mirzapur district, he changed his name after joining the BJP.
Singh, who belongs to the backward Kurmi caste and played a crucial role in paving the way for the party’s second consecutive win in the UP Assembly polls, was elevated to the post of the state BJP chief in 2019.
Singh had started his career as a reporter for a Hindi daily in 1986.
He was made a minister in the Yogi Adityanath-led previous government and earlier held various positions in the party, including that of its state vice-president and general secretary.
He also held the post of the the state president of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha.
At present, Singh is a member of the state Legislative Council and had played a crucial role in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2014 and 2017 election rallies in UP.
Singh holds BSc degree from Bundelkhand University.
Baby Rani Maurya: Quit as Uttarakhand Governor to enter active politics
An influential Jatav leader, Baby Rani Maurya last year resigned from the Uttarakhand governor’s post, taking a plunge into active politics.
On Friday, the 65-year-old Dalit leader was sworn-in as an Uttar Pradesh cabnet minister.
Maurya had resigned from the governor’s post in September last year, leading to speculations that the party want her to enter active politics.
She held the post for three years.
She was made the national vice-president of the party and was elected to the state Assembly from Agra (Rural) in the just-concluded elections.
With a degree in education (B.Ed) and Masters in Arts, she has been a member of the National Commission for Women.
She had contested the 2007 Assembly elections from Etmadpur on a BJP ticket but was defeated then.
Her husband Pradeep Kumar retired from a senior post in a bank.
Baby Rani Maurya had joined the BJP in 1995 and then became the mayor of Agra.
After that, she held several positions in the party.
Keshav Prasad Maurya: Back in saddle as Uttar Pradesh deputy CM
Despite having lost the recent Assembly elections, Keshav Prasad Maurya’s continuation as UP deputy chief minister speaks volumes about his popularity and hold over the backward classes, whose crucial support was instrumental in the BJP retaining power in the state.
The 52-year-old leader lost from Sirathu by nearly 7000 votes, leading to speculations of his omission from the new Adityanath-led government.
But the party reposed its faith in him.
Coming from a humble background, his political career started during the Ram temple movement under the guidance of Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s Ashok Singhal.
BJP insiders say Maurya helped his parents in agricultural work, ran a tea shop and also sold newspapers in his early days.
He also remained a “pracharak” of the VHP and the Bajrang Dal for 18 years.
Though his electoral journey witnessed early defeats, Maurya won from Sirathu seat as a BJP candidate in 2012.
Maurya came into the limelight in 2013, when he led a protest against the arrival of a Christian missionary in a college of Allahabad.
In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, he was fielded by the party from Phulpur and won the seat with a record number of votes.
His real test came in 2016 when he was made the state president of the BJP and he undertook extensive tours of the state to muster the support of the backwards.
His hard work paid off as the BJP defeated the ruling Samajwadi Party in the elections, winning 312 of the 403 seats, with the allies chipping in with 13 more seats.
Maurya was made the deputy chief minister in the previous government.
He resigned from Parliament and was elected to the upper house of the state legislature.
