New Delhi, Sept. 3: The inclusion of new faces in today's ministerial revamp reflected a subtle, but conscious, effort by the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah regime to promote upper castes, at least in heartland Uttar Pradesh and Bihar dominated by Mandal politics for over two decades.

The upper caste push comes amid the ruling establishment's constant refrain about socially disadvantaged sections and its attempts to project the elevation of Ram Nath Kovind, a Dalit, as President as proof of its commitment.

Uttar Pradesh, which already has a Thakur as chief minister in Yogi Adityanath, and a Brahmin, Mahendra Nath Pandey, as BJP president, saw the induction of one more upper caste leader as Union minister today. Shiv Pratap Shukla, a Brahmin regarded as a bête noire of Adityanath, has been made junior finance minister. Both Adityanath and Shukla are from Gorakhpur.

Old-timers recalled that the picture was reminiscent of the Congress days when both the chief minister and the state party chief used to be upper castes. Pandey recently resigned as junior central minister and was made Uttar Pradesh BJP chief, replacing backward caste leader Keshav Prasad Maurya.

Maurya, a Kushwaha leader who is believed to have played a big role in the BJP's landslide victory in this year's Assembly polls as state party chief, is currently deputy chief minister. He had hoped to be rewarded with the chief minister's post after the BJP's dream victory but had to settle as the deputy to the saffron-robed Adityanath, a Thakur.

From Bihar, R.K. Singh and Ashwini Kumar Choubey, both upper caste leaders, were inducted today into the Modi ministry. With this, five of the six Union ministers representing the state dominated by Mandal politics are from the upper castes. The others are law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh and junior minister Giriraj Singh. One minister, Ram Kripal Yadav, is an OBC leader.

Singh, a former Union home secretary whose induction was projected as one based on capability, was seen as a replacement for Rajiv Pratap Rudy, another upper caste Rajput who was unceremoniously dropped. Singh has been made minister of state for power with independent charge, a significant portfolio for a first-time minister. Choubey, a Brahmin, has been brought in as the junior minister for health.

The attempt to promote upper caste leaders comes even as the Modi-Shah regime harps untiringly on the backward, Dalit and the " garib" (poor) factor. The BJP claims it has taken over the "garib" vote bank of the Congress and other Mandal-driven parties.

Other than holding up President Kovind's nomination and election as evidence of its commitment to the socially deprived sections, the BJP has also highlighted the Modi government's proposal to give constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes and create sub-categories among the backward classes to help them take advantage of reservations as major decisions meant to promote OBC welfare.

The BJP's Uttar Pradesh sweep was attributed to the support of non-Yadav backward groups and non-Jatav Dalits but once the results were declared, the party sprang a surprise and selected Adityanath as chief minister. Till then, the party had brushed off suggestions that Adityanath's name was being considered for the post as a Thakur, Trivendra Singh Rawat, had been picked as chief minister of neighbouring Uttarakhand.

"The BJP doesn't indulge in the politics of caste and religion. We serve the poor irrespective of their caste. As far as the present cabinet reshuffle is concerned, it is based on talent," a BJP spokesperson said today. Government sources had yesterday said the new faces had been finalised to reinforce the Modi team with "the power of 4P for P - Passion+Proficiency+ Professional & Political acumen for Progress".

Not only Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, the pick from poll-bound Karnataka and Rajasthan also smacked of an upper-caste bias. From Karnataka - where the party is courting backward groups, Vokkaligas and the Lingayats - a Brahmin, Anant Kumar Hegde, joined the government today.

Similarly, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat from Rajasthan is a Thakur. The only Dalit brought in as minister today was Virendra Kumar, from Madhya Pradesh.