<p>BJP sought to get the caste and regional equations right keeping in mind the bigger electoral battle in 2024 as members of the brahmin, jat, Schedule caste and OBC communities got the lion's share in the Yogi Adityanath Cabinet, which was sworn in at the sprawling Ikana Stadium on Friday.</p>.<p>Having as many as eight ministers, each from the electorally important SC, Brahmin and Jat communities, in the new ministry clearly indicated that the saffron party intended to maintain its hold in the next general elections in 2024. Five women were also part of the new Adityanath ministry. </p>.<p>UP sends 80 members to the Lok Sabha and BJP realised very well that only a good performance here would ensure the party a government at the Centre for the third consecutive term.</p>.<p><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/north-and-central/danish-azad-ansari-lone-muslim-face-in-yogis-govt-1094603.html"><strong>Also read | Danish Azad Ansari: Lone Muslim face in Yogi's govt</strong></a></p>.<p>Brajesh Pathak, a prominent Brahmin face in the saffron party was made deputy chief minister. The party also chose to keep Keshav Prasad Maurya, a senior OBC leader, as the other deputy CM, though he had lost the polls to the rival Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate in Sirathu in Kaushambi district. Former Congress leader and another Brahmin leader Jitin Prasada was also inducted as a Cabinet minister.</p>.<p>The inclusion of eight ministers from the SC community indicated that the BJP had rewarded the community members for supporting it in the Assembly elections. A few of them hailed from the 'Jatav' community to which BSP supremo Mayawati belonged and a section of whom said to have shifted allegiance to the saffron party in the polls.</p>.<p>An interesting and electorally significant development was the inclusion of 12 MLAs as ministers, who hailed from the western UP districts, where the BJP did unexpectedly well, given the perception that its electoral prospects could take a hit in view of the over-a-year-long farmer agitation. In the previous Adityanath Cabinet, there were 11 members from the western region but in the new cabinet, this number increased to 12.</p>.<p>A senior UP BJP leader said that the party needed a team of ministers which represented those sections of the society which had stood behind the party solidly in the polls. ''Not much time is left for the next bigger battle....UP is central to our electoral strategy....we need to perform well here,'' the leader told DH.</p>.<p>The saffron party has also sought to keep its two alliance partners - the Nishad Party and Apna Dal - in good mood by accommodating their members in the new Cabinet. </p>.<p>BJP had won 64 of the 80 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in the state. </p>.<p><strong>Check out DH's latest videos:</strong></p>
<p>BJP sought to get the caste and regional equations right keeping in mind the bigger electoral battle in 2024 as members of the brahmin, jat, Schedule caste and OBC communities got the lion's share in the Yogi Adityanath Cabinet, which was sworn in at the sprawling Ikana Stadium on Friday.</p>.<p>Having as many as eight ministers, each from the electorally important SC, Brahmin and Jat communities, in the new ministry clearly indicated that the saffron party intended to maintain its hold in the next general elections in 2024. Five women were also part of the new Adityanath ministry. </p>.<p>UP sends 80 members to the Lok Sabha and BJP realised very well that only a good performance here would ensure the party a government at the Centre for the third consecutive term.</p>.<p><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/north-and-central/danish-azad-ansari-lone-muslim-face-in-yogis-govt-1094603.html"><strong>Also read | Danish Azad Ansari: Lone Muslim face in Yogi's govt</strong></a></p>.<p>Brajesh Pathak, a prominent Brahmin face in the saffron party was made deputy chief minister. The party also chose to keep Keshav Prasad Maurya, a senior OBC leader, as the other deputy CM, though he had lost the polls to the rival Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate in Sirathu in Kaushambi district. Former Congress leader and another Brahmin leader Jitin Prasada was also inducted as a Cabinet minister.</p>.<p>The inclusion of eight ministers from the SC community indicated that the BJP had rewarded the community members for supporting it in the Assembly elections. A few of them hailed from the 'Jatav' community to which BSP supremo Mayawati belonged and a section of whom said to have shifted allegiance to the saffron party in the polls.</p>.<p>An interesting and electorally significant development was the inclusion of 12 MLAs as ministers, who hailed from the western UP districts, where the BJP did unexpectedly well, given the perception that its electoral prospects could take a hit in view of the over-a-year-long farmer agitation. In the previous Adityanath Cabinet, there were 11 members from the western region but in the new cabinet, this number increased to 12.</p>.<p>A senior UP BJP leader said that the party needed a team of ministers which represented those sections of the society which had stood behind the party solidly in the polls. ''Not much time is left for the next bigger battle....UP is central to our electoral strategy....we need to perform well here,'' the leader told DH.</p>.<p>The saffron party has also sought to keep its two alliance partners - the Nishad Party and Apna Dal - in good mood by accommodating their members in the new Cabinet. </p>.<p>BJP had won 64 of the 80 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in the state. </p>.<p><strong>Check out DH's latest videos:</strong></p>
