Anupriya Patel, the president of Apna Dal - the BJP's ally in Uttar Pradesh - was on Wednesday sworn in as a member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's revamped union cabinet.
The induction of the Mirzapur MP, who belongs to the Kurmi community, is significant as the community plays an important role in the electoral arithmetic of the state, which will hold Assembly elections next year.
The Kurmis are the second- largest OBC community in UP, after the Yadavs.
Home Minister Amit Shah met Ms Patel last month in what was seen as an outreach by the Bharatiya Janata Party to its allies in Uttar Pradesh ahead of next year's elections. In the same meeting, Ms Patel had asked for two ministerial berths for Uttar Pradesh and one at the centre.
Anupriya Patel was made a minister in the first term of Modi government in 2014, after the BJP won 71 of the UP's 80 seats; the Apna Dal added two more to the tally and rose to prominence. However, her party could not get representation in the second term of the Modi government.
Ms Patel's induction came amid reports her party is unhappy with the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Last year too the Apna Dal had threatened to quit the alliance, alleging that the BJP was "not taking care of its allies"; its leader had said the party is "free to take its decisions".
The union cabinet can have a maximum of 81 members. After today's reshuffle, including the Prime Minister the cabinet strength will be 78.
Other big names to be inducted in the PM's new-look cabinet today were ex-Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia, former Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Pashupati Paras - the LJP leader who led a controversial coup against his nephew, Chirag Paswan.
