Lucknow

Mayawati, chief of the Bahujan Samaj Party, on Monday said she would not comment on the recent cabinet expansion in Uttar Pradesh, calling it an internal matter of the ruling party, but stressed that any such exercise should bring tangible benefits to the public.

In a post on X, Mayawati said cabinet expansion, reshuffle or restructuring was primarily an internal political process of the party in power, making direct criticism or commentary inappropriate.

However, she said the real measure of such an exercise should be whether it positively impacts the lives of the poor, labourers, farmers, youth and women across society.

She said that unless such changes result in visible public welfare and improved governance, people may see them merely as political manoeuvring and an additional burden on government resources.

Mayawati further said the effectiveness of the government should be reflected in whether citizens—particularly weaker sections—feel secure about their lives, property and faith, and receive timely justice, which she described as a core constitutional responsibility of any government.

The remarks came a day after the government led by Yogi Adityanath expanded its cabinet in Lucknow ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.

Among those inducted were:

• Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary
• Manoj Kumar Pandey
• Krishna Paswan
• Surendra Diler
• Hansraj Vishwakarma
• Kailash Singh Rajput

In addition, Ajit Singh Pal and Somendra Tomar were elevated as ministers of state with independent charge.

The oath of office was administered by Anandiben Patel.

Mayawati also raised concerns over law and order in the state, referring to the recent shooting of BJP youth leader Chetan Tiwari in Lucknow.

She said the incident had revived concerns over public safety and the security of different communities in the state.

Drawing a contrast with her tenure, Mayawati said governments led by the BSP had ensured justice and security for all communities under the principle of “Sarvajan Hitaya, Sarvajan Sukhaya.”

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Police said the main accused, Vaibhav Vajpayee, has been arrested and the weapon used in the attack has been recovered. Further investigation is underway.