Unanimously elected as the leader of the Uttar Pradesh BJP legislature party in a meeting in Lucknow, Yogi Adityanath took oath as the UP chief minister for a second term on Friday evening. Keshav Maurya and Brajesh Pathak were sworn in as his deputies.
With dignitaries including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh attending the swearing-in ceremony, security was ramped up at Lucknow’s Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium. CCTVs and drones were deployed to manage crowds, while 7,000 personnel of the civil police and the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) as well as members of the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) were manning the venue.
Adityanath scripted history in the Assembly polls, becoming the first CM to return to power in the state after completing a five-year term. And the BJP became the first party to retain power in UP since 1985. On Thursday, the BJP legislature party meeting, which confirmed Adityanath’s appointment, was also attended by newly elected legislators of the party’s two allies — Apna Dal (Sonelal) and Nishad Party.
The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has congratulated Yogi Adityanath and his Council of Ministers on taking oath as the Chief Minister and Ministers of Uttar Pradesh. Recalling the many achievements of the past five years, the Prime Minister in a Tweet expressed the hope that under the leadership of the Chief Minister, the State will write a new chapter of development.
Modi’s favourate AK Sharma in cabinet
He was not the only bureaucrat from Gujarat to have followed Narendra Modi to the Centre. Or the most high-profile. But AK Sharma alone made that next leap: from the backstage to the front. Twenty years after he emerged as one of Modi’s most trusted men, Arvind Kumar Sharma took voluntary retirement from the IAS last year and became a BJP MLC. On Friday, the 59-year-old took oath as a minister in the Yogi Adityanath government.
According to a senior Central government official, while it is not unusual for a PM to have a core group of trusted officials, Sharma stands out among the charmed circle. “It was understood that any directions from Sharma had the PM’s seal of approval. It helped that Sharma never threw his weight around”.
Former IPS officer Asim Kumar Arun has been made minister of state (Independent charge). Asim won the assembly election from Kannauj sadar seat. In January, Asim Kumar surprised everyone by announcing his voluntary retirement. His announcement came an hour after the model code of conduct came into effect in January. Asim Kumar, later, joined the BJP and contested the election.
Asim’s father Sriram Arun was Director General of Police of Uttar Pradesh. He was Kanpur police commissioner when he announced his retirement. Considered to be upright officer, he was earlier posted as the head of Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS). He had also undergone a commando training course for the National Security Guard (NSG).
Only Muslim minister to have taken oath today is 32-year-old Mohammad Danish Azad Ansari, a native of Ballia. Danish has replaced Mohsin Raza, who was minister in the previous government of Yogi Aditya Nath. Danish, who is the state general secretary of BJP’s Minority Front, has been made minister of state in the second term of Yogi Aditya Nath. He was earlier holding the post of member of state Urdu Language Committee.
Danish completed his post graduation in 2009 and Masters of Total Quality Management from Lucknow University in 2012. He also completed Masters of Public Administration from Open University in 2020. Danish was also active in student politics and joined Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) in 2011.
