Akhilesh asks if UP ministers’ portfolios will be decided by BJP ‘top brass’

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Friday criticised the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh over the delay in allocating portfolios to newly inducted ministers, suggesting that decisions were being controlled by the party’s “top brass”.

The remarks came days after the expansion of the Yogi Adityanath 2.0 ministry, in which two Cabinet ministers and four ministers of state were inducted, while two ministers of state were elevated to independent charge.

Despite the swearing-in ceremony on 10 May, portfolios for the new ministers are yet to be announced.

In a post on X, Yadav questioned whether the allocation of ministries would also be decided from the “top”, in an apparent reference to the BJP’s central leadership.

He alleged that internal conflicts linked to “commission and earning” within the BJP’s “double-engine government” were responsible for the delay.

“The new ministers, who got their positions after a long wait, are merely sitting in the spectators’ gallery, watching the ball being tossed back and forth,” the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said.

Yadav further claimed that the people of Uttar Pradesh would closely monitor the departments eventually allotted to the ministers to ensure public money was not misused.

He accused the BJP government of weakening institutions meant to tackle corruption and alleged that citizens increasingly relied on social media and citizen journalism in pursuit of justice.

The Samajwadi Party chief also claimed that BJP leaders were attempting to accumulate wealth before the end of their term in office, asserting that the ruling party believed this would be its final stint in power in the state.

The latest expansion marked the second reshuffle of the Yogi Adityanath government since it returned to power in 2022. The previous Cabinet expansion took place in March 2024.

Uttar Pradesh is scheduled to go to Assembly polls next year, with political activity in the state intensifying ahead of the election season.

With PTI inputs