Yogi Adityanath to be UP chief minister, with Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma as deputies

The Bharatiya Janata Party chose Yogi Adityanath to lead Uttar Pradesh as chief minister, with Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma named as his deputies. The decision rested with the party’s legislators, who met on Saturday evening, exactly a week after the BJP’s sweeping victory in India’s largest state.

The race before the meeting

In the run-up to the meeting, two leaders were widely regarded as the leading contenders: Keshav Prasad Maurya, the state BJP president, and Manoj Sinha, the Union telecom minister. BJP president Amit Shah, however, was known for springing surprises by picking less prominent leaders for top posts. The party had said the name would be made public by 4pm on Saturday.

Swearing-in plans

Preparations were made for a large swearing-in ceremony on Sunday at a big venue on the edge of Lucknow. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and several senior Union ministers were expected to attend.

What happened next

Yogi Adityanath took office as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh in March 2017 and began a second term in March 2022. In the 2017 election the BJP had won 312 seats, against 47 for the Samajwadi Party and 19 for the BSP.

See also: Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha members

Originally published on 18 March 2017. Rewritten on 9 October 2026.

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