UP Cabinet expansion eyes 2027 with big bets on OBC, Dalits and a Brahmin face

The new inductees include three OBC leaders, two SC representatives, including a woman, and one Brahmin face, reflecting the BJP’s effort to consolidate its core base and reclaim ground in eastern and western UP.

Bhupendra Chaudhary

Age: 57
Current role: BJP MLC

Chaudhary is a Jat leader from western Uttar Pradesh. He has been active in politics since the Ram Temple movement in the early 1990s. He served as the district president of Moradabad during the early stages of his political career.

Chaudhary first gained significant attention when the BJP selected him to contest the 1999 Lok Sabha elections against SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav for the Sambhal Lok Sabha seat. Although he lost the election, the BJP continued to entrust him with organisational responsibilities, and he was appointed as the regional president of western UP h in the early 2000s.

In 2017, when the BJP government came to power with a full majority, Chaudhary was appointed as minister with independent charge for the Panchayati Raj Department. He was promoted as a Cabinet minister in 2019. In 2022, when the BJP government returned to power, he was re-elected and again appointed as Cabinet minister for Panchayati Raj.

However, the BJP later assigned him an organisational role, and in August 2022, he became the state president. Following this appointment, he resigned from the Cabinet and focused on his organisational responsibilities until December 2025. A few months ago, the BJP replaced Bhupendra Chaudhary with Pankaj Chaudhary as the state president, prompting discussions about bringing him back into the Cabinet.

Significance: Apart from being an effective cadre leader, Chaudhary represents the Jat community in western Uttar Pradesh. He is a senior leader known for his subtle working style. Many consider his inclusion significant, especially if he is assigned to departments with direct public contact, as he is recognised as a receptive leader.

Hansraj Vishwakarma

Age: 54
Current role: BJP district president, Varanasi and also MLC

Hansraj Vishwakarma belongs to an OBC community and is one of the most trusted party cadre leaders in Varanasi, the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. His reliability is underscored by his serving his third term as the district president of Varanasi.

Vishwakarma actively contributed to the Ram Temple movement in the early 1990s and was once considered close to former chief minister Kalyan Singh. Sources indicate that he briefly joined the Rashtra Kranti Party, founded by Kalyan Singh, but later returned to the BJP.

Significance: The selection of Vishwakarma comes amidst recent Opposition criticism regarding the BJP’s neglect of the Vishwakarma community. This criticism was highlighted by an alleged incident involving the rape of a girl from the community in Ghazipur district.

Although Vishwakarma was appointed as an MLC by the BJP in 2023, many had anticipated that he would be assigned a more significant responsibility since then. Sources within the party indicate they are considering the impact of his selection on the broader community in eastern Uttar Pradesh.

Kailash Singh Rajput

Age: 69
Current role: BJP MLA from Tirwa Assembly Constituency in Kannauj

Kailash Singh Rajput is a second-term BJP MLA representing the Tirwa Assembly constituency in Kannauj, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav’s Lok Sabha seat. Kailash belongs to the OBC Lodh Rajput community, to which former chief minister Kalyan Singh belonged. He briefly left the BJP to join the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) during its rule from 2007 to 2012, but later returned.

Kailash plays a crucial role for the party in Kannauj, where he has consistently defeated SP candidates in close contests over the past two elections. His influence extends beyond Kannauj, particularly in the neighbouring regions where the Lodh community holds significant sway. As the 2027 Assembly elections approach, he remains a key figure for the party.

Significance: He is the second minister from Kannauj, after Asim Arun, who serves as the Minister of State with Independent Charge for Social Welfare and SC/ST Welfare.

Surendra Diler

Age: 33
Current role: BJP MLA from Khair Assembly constituency in Aligarh

Surendra Diler comes from an influential political family in the region, with both his father and grandfather having served as BJP Members of Parliament from the Hathras Lok Sabha constituency. He began his political journey by assisting his Rajveer Singh Diler in booth management.

His grandfather Kishan Lal Diler served as an MLA for six terms and was a BJP Lok Sabha MP from Hathras for four terms. His father was also the Hathras MP in 2019. Surendra won the Khair Assembly seat in a bypoll in 2024, following the vacancy created by BJP leader Anoop Pradhan, who became an MP that same year.

Significance: Diler represents the Valmiki community, a Scheduled Caste. His selection for the Cabinet before the 2027 Assembly elections is viewed as an effort to ensure representation for the Valmiki community.

Krishna Paswan

Current role: Fourth-term BJP MLA from Khaga Assembly constituency in Fatehpur

Paswan is the only woman in the new Cabinet expansion and an SC face. Party leaders indicate that she has risen from the party’s grassroots, starting her political career in the panchayat polls. She was first elected as a BJP MLA from the Kisunpur Assembly seat in 2007, when the BSP government came to power in the state.

Subsequently, she contested and won the Assembly elections in 2012, 2017, and 2022 from the Khaga Assembly seat in Fatehpur.

Significance: Sources indicate that the BJP has been able to convey three key messages in one: emphasising not only the importance of women but also highlighting individuals who have risen from grassroots levels within the organisation. Additionally, it showcases someone who actively represents SCs in her region.

Manoj Kumar Pandey

Age: 59

Manoj Kumar Pandey is known as a rebel leader within the SP political circles. He served three terms as the SP MLA from the Unchahar Assembly constituency and was once considered close to SP chief Akhilesh Yadav. During Yadav’s regime from 2012 to 2017, Pandey was appointed a minister and later became the Assembly’s chief whip.

However, Pandey, who was seen as the Brahmin face of the SP, resigned from his position and drew attention in 2024 for his cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha elections. Sources indicate that the SP leadership attempted to bring him back into the party, but he began openly campaigning for BJP candidates.

In 2025, the SP expelled him from the party along with other rebel MLAs. For the past two years, there have been speculations about his potential induction into the Cabinet.

Significance: While he is the only upper-caste representative in the expansion and specifically represents the Brahmin community, which has recently shown signs of discontent, his selection is viewed as a strategy to win over this community in the state.