Yogi Adityanath, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, traveled to the home of his deputy, Keshav Maurya, reportedly for a personal engagement, but in a clear political sign, the BJP is attempting to present a unified front with only months till a key Assembly election.
The Chief Minister, a prominent representative of the RSS (the governing BJP’s ideological tutor), and UP’s other Deputy Chief Minister, Dinesh Sharma, were also present at Mr Maurya’s lunch to commemorate his son’s marriage in May, which was attended by only a few people owing to Covid tradition.
The newlyweds were seen with Yogi Adityanath and Keshav Maurya and his wife in a photo issued by the BJP. A second image depicted additional leaders with the couple, while a third image had Mr Maurya presenting something to the Chief Minister, both men smiling.
Following lunch, the Chief Minister and his deputies headed to the BJP headquarters in Lucknow for a meeting with key party leaders from Delhi, including BL Santosh and Radha Mohan Singh, who were both in town for the second time in as many weeks.
At least 20 other top leaders of the BJP’s state unit, including some ministers, were also present for the meeting, including UP BJP Chief Swatantra Dev Singh.
According to BJP sources, the rush of activity signalled a thaw in the party’s and government’s working relationships.
Yogi Adityanath visited Delhi last week to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and BJP President JP Nadda.
Prior to that trip, Radha Mohan Singh, the BJP’s state in-charge, and BL Santosh, the party’s organisational secretary, spent three days in Lucknow meeting with the Chief Minister, his deputies, and other BJP leaders.
Several politicians privately expressed reservations about Yogi Adityanath’s handling of the Covid controversy and his “inaccessibility” even to his own party leaders. Some even sent letters about the pandemic’s mismanagement.
A “confidential” letter from Law Minister Brijesh Pathak, the party’s famous Brahmin face, emerged on social media in April. He had slammed state health officials in it, claiming that there were not enough beds for Covid patients and that ambulance took hours to arrive even in the state capital.
The minister did not deny the letter’s legitimacy, which appeared to cast doubt on the state government’s assertions that it was on top of things.
However, the BJP has made it clear that Yogi Adityanath, one of the party’s most visible figures, would lead it in the election next year.
Other options for course correction considered by the party included a reorganisation in the state government and the import of leaders from other parties. The cabinet extension is still in the works.
In this reshuffle, AK Sharma, a former IAS official close to the Prime Minister who was transferred to Uttar Pradesh as a member of the state’s legislative council, is expected to become a minister. Instead, he was promoted to vice president of the Uttar Pradesh BJP, which is viewed as a win for Yogi Adityanath in BJP circles.
