The politics in Uttar Pradesh has not only revolutionized the various aspects of life in the state but also procured eminent names to the politics of India as well. As a matter of fact, eight Prime Ministers so far have been associated with Uttar Pradesh as their birthplace, constituency, or political base. Arranged in chronological order the list reads as:-
- Jawahar Lal Nehru
- Lal Bahadur Shastri
- Indira Gandhi
- Rajiv Gandhi
- Chaudhary Charan Singh
- Vishwanath Pratap Singh
- Chandra Shekhar
- Atal Bihari Vajpayee
The government of Uttar Pradesh is one of the finest examples of a bicameral legislature in India. It is a democratically elected body with the Governor serving as the constitutional head of the state. The Governor of Uttar Pradesh is appointed by the President of India and normally holds office for a period of five years. He is the ceremonial head of the state and appoints the chief minister and the council of ministers.
Although the Governor is the head of the state the day-to-day functioning of Uttar Pradesh politics and administration is managed by the Chief Minister and the council of ministers. The council of ministers comprises ministers of state, cabinet ministers and deputy ministers. The council of ministers is assisted by the state Secretariat and senior administrative officials headed by the Chief Secretary.
The two most important parts of the Uttar Pradesh government and politics are the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council. The Legislative Assembly is known as Vidhan Sabha which is the lower house and the Legislative Council or Vidhan Parishad is the upper house.
The Vidhan Sabha or the lower house consists of members directly elected by the people of the state. The Legislative Assembly of Uttar Pradesh currently consists of 403 seats. Elections to the legislative Assembly are held once in every five years under normal circumstances, unless the Assembly is dissolved earlier.
Parties like Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), along with other major political parties, have played important roles in Uttar Pradesh politics. Uttar Pradesh consists of 75 administrative districts and each district is taken care by a District Magistrate. District Magistrates are the chief administrative and revenue officers of their respective districts and have important responsibilities relating to law and order, revenue administration and development.
All total, there are five Boards and Commissions in Uttar Pradesh. Out of these, there are three Boards and two Commissions. The Uttar Pradesh Boards and Commissions are described below:
- Uttar Pradesh Housing and Development Board: This board was set up in April 1966 and started working towards offering housing solutions. But, with time it has entered into planning, designing, construction and development of development projects throughout the state. This board has proved its capabilities by winning national level housing competitions arranged by HUDCO in the year 1976 and 1979.
- Uttar Pradesh Khadi and Village Industries Board (UPKVIB): It is the board whose main mission is to promote khadi and village industries, support rural employment and encourage self-employment in the state.
- Uttar Pradesh State Agricultural Marketing Board: This board was set up in the year 1973 to coordinate, curb and direct various activities and welfare plans of agricultural markets. The board has helped the farmers in getting the fair price for their crops by implementing various acts and laws in the most efficient way.
- Uttar Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission: This commission was set up in the year 1999 after the Uttar Pradesh government had enacted the Uttar Pradesh Electricity Reform Act 1999. The commission aims at providing electricity at the most effective price and quality so as to protect the consumer interests and support the economic development of Uttar Pradesh.
- Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission: This commission was set up on 1 April 1937. The main aim of this commission is to select suitable candidates for civil services in Uttar Pradesh.
Political Parties
- National Parties
National Parties are those political parties which have been recognized as national parties by the Election Commission of India based on prescribed criteria under election law. Political parties are recognized as national parties by the Election Commission of India who monitors the elections in different states. There are many national parties in Uttar Pradesh which have played an important role in shaping up Uttar Pradesh as it is today.
Following is a small brief on all the significant national parties in Uttar Pradesh:
- Bahujan Samaj Party : BSP as it is widely known as, was founded by late Kanshi Ram in 1984 to represent the Dalits. Currently, Kumari Mayawati is the President of the party.
- Samajwadi Party : Popularly known as SP, it is one of the largest regional parties in India. This party was set up in the year 1992 when Janata Dal was broken into several different regional parties. The party is currently led by Akhilesh Yadav. This party has always presented itself as a democratic socialist party.
- Rashtriya Lok Dal: Also known as RLD, this regional party of Uttar Pradesh is led by Jayant Chaudhary and has participated in different political alliances over the years. This regional party of Uttar Pradesh claims to be carrying on the legacy of Charan Singh and the original Lok Dal from which it separated. The party has historically maintained a significant political presence among Jats and in parts of western Uttar Pradesh.
FAQs
Q1: Who is the current Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh?
Yogi Adityanath is the current Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.
Q2: How many seats are there in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly?
The Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly has 403 seats.
Q3: Is Uttar Pradesh a bicameral state?
Yes. Uttar Pradesh has a bicameral legislature consisting of the Legislative Assembly (Vidhan Sabha) and Legislative Council (Vidhan Parishad).
Q4: Who is the Governor of Uttar Pradesh?
Anandiben Patel is the Governor of Uttar Pradesh. The Governor is appointed by the President of India and serves as the constitutional head of the state.
Q5: Which are the major political parties in Uttar Pradesh?
The major political parties in Uttar Pradesh include the BJP, Samajwadi Party (SP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Indian National Congress (INC), and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD).
Q6: How many districts are there in Uttar Pradesh?
Uttar Pradesh has 75 administrative districts, each headed administratively by a District Magistrate.
Q7: Why is Uttar Pradesh important in Indian politics?
Uttar Pradesh is highly important in Indian politics because it has 80 Lok Sabha seats, 403 Assembly seats, a large electorate, and a long history of producing prominent national political leaders.
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