UP: Brajesh Pathak sworn in as deputy CM, replaces Dinesh Sharma. Know about him
Known as a prominent Brahmin leader, Brajesh Pathak joined the BJP in 2017 after quitting Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party. He won from Lucknow Cantt seat in both 2017 and 2022 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.
Brajesh Pathak, who served as the law minister in the previous Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government in Uttar Pradesh, sworn in as one of the deputy chief ministers of the northern state on Friday. Representing the vital Brahmin community in the state, Pathak replaced Dinesh Sharma in Adityanath's 2.0 cabinet.
Live updates of oath-taking ceremony here
Meanwhile, Keshav Prasad Maurya has been retained as the deputy chief minister. With this, the saffron camp stuck to its norm of having Brahmin-OBC combination for deputy chief ministers of the state.
Who is Brajesh Pathak?
Pathak joined the BJP's side in 2017 after quitting Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). He had joined the saffron camp at the time in the presence of Union home minister Amit Shah and union minister Mahesh Sharma. Following the 2017 polls in which the BJP rose to power in Uttar Pradesh, Pathak became an MLA from Lucknow Central seat.
Known as a prominent Brahmin leader and one who has been credited for working for the party to reinforce the BJP's support base among the community leading up to the 2022 assembly elections.
Pathak defeated his close rival SP's Raju Gandhi in 2022 assembly polls by a margin of 39,512 votes. He emerged victorious from the Lucknow Cantt seat.
Born in Hardoi district in 1964, Pathak joined politics as a student leader in 1989 and became the president of Lucknow University the following year. He was a Member of the Parliament from the Unnao Lok Sabha seat between 2004 and 2009.
A total of 52 ministers sworn in for Adityanath's 2.0 government on Friday. Of these, as many as 21 have been retained, including KP Maurya; while the remaining 31 are first timers. A total of 22 ministers, including Sharma, have been dropped.
Adityanath sworn in as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh for a record second term. The oath-taking ceremony of him and all the remaining ministers was held at Lucknow's Ekana Stadium where a massive crowd gathered. Prime Ministers Narendra Modi, Shah, Union ministers Anurag Thakur and Rajnath Singh, among others, were present during the gala event.